Orphan Swan
by mufire
Summary: While working a case in NYC, Detective Emma Swan witnesses a rather disturbing suicide. When events escalate, bringing her own life in danger, her and her partner, Detective Killian Jones, decide to further investigate the events and circumstances behind Emma Swan's birth. Loosely based on Orphan Black.
1. She Could Have Been It

_September 16, 2013_

_12:10pm_

_New York City, New York_

Emma stepped out of the taxi, and Killian was right behind her. He looked up at the skyscrapers surrounding them as they stepped onto the sidewalk, avoiding a crowd of tourists who walked by. Emma arched an eyebrow at him, amused. They'd been to the city many times before, and he still had the same astounded look on his face as he did then. She knew Killian had grown up in the Ireland countryside, but most people would have expected him to be more used by urban sights by now. She nudged his arm with her elbow.

"Come on, Jones. It's supposed to be a couple blocks north of Brooklyn. Subway it is," she said, and Killian snapped out of his thoughts, giving her a grin.

"Lead the way, Swan," he told her. Emma resisted rolling her eyes at his lack of navigational skills in cities. She started walking towards the subway, not checking to see if he was following her. She knew he was...he always did. As she walked down the stairs, she could hear him muttering something about 'bloody concrete jungles'.

They waited for the next train to come. Killian sat down on a bench, while Emma put her hands in her pockets and walked around, observing their surroundings and the people passing. She froze when she saw a flash of blonde hair accompanied by sniffles. There was something too familiar about the woman, even though she was a few feet away and her back was facing Emma. She found herself stepping forward, clutching her leather jacket closer to herself as she approached the woman. Right as Emma was about to reach out to tap her on her shoulder, the woman turned to her.

Emma gasped. If she didn't have makeup on and had her hair in a side ponytail, she could have been looking in a mirror. The woman watched her for a few moments as the subway train approached, tears streaking her face. She sniffed, glanced between Emma and the train, and before Emma could react or do anything, the woman jumped and blood splattered on the tracks as brakes screeched.

Emma stood frozen and wide-eyed, hand still held out in mid-air, breathing halted as exclamations rang throughout the terminal. She sucked oxygen in through her lungs when she felt the strong grip on her shoulder that she knew was Killian's, but her eyes were still glued onto the tracks underneath the subway train, where a mangled hand was sticking out.

A hand that looked exactly like hers.

Emma's hands trembled as Killian tugged her away from the scene. A crowd was already gathered, and someone had yelled for an ambulance to be called, but Emma knew the woman was already dead. She could hear herself breathing as Killian led her to a bench a good distance away. All other sounds were muted, so it took her a moment to realize he was talking to her.

"W-what?" she asked, her eyebrows scrunched in confusion. Killian's lips pressed into a thin line.

"Are you alright?" he repeated himself, his hand still on her shoulder. Reality started coming back to Emma. Her heart was still pounding in her chest as she peeked over to where the incident had occurred.

"I'm...yeah," Emma said, putting on a fake smile. He raised one of those animated eyebrows at her speculatively. Emma wrapped her arms around herself and looked down at the concrete floor for a moment. She felt him rubbing her back and took a deep breath.

"She looked like me," Emma whispered.

"What?"

"The woman...she...Killian, I could have been looking in a mirror almost," she breathed out and rubbed her forehead.

"What do you mean?" he asked, but Emma was already distracted by the purse she noticed, abandoned by the wall a few feet away from her. That purse...she had an odd feeling that it belonged to her doppelganger, and would hold answers. Answers she needed right now.

"Let's go," she told Killian, standing up briskly and grabbing the purse as she headed out of the terminal, with Killian chasing after her. He was confused by her sudden change in demeanor.

"Emma? Emma!" he yelled. She finally turned around when they were back outside, and he gave her an incredulous look.

"You're stealing purses now?" he asked, motioning towards the black one in her hand. Emma shook her head, not paying much attention to him as she began digging through the small purse. She came up with a worn out wallet and opened it up to reveal a driver's license. Her heart stopped for a moment as she looked at the picture and the name. Killian had moved closer to her and looked over her shoulder.

"Emma Grace Capper," Emma read the name off and held it up to him, feeling winded. "See? I told you."

Killian looked between her and the license, then back again. His eyes went a bit wide.

"How...how is that possible?" he asked.

"I don't know. Same name too. It doesn't make any sense," Emma said, suddenly feeling sick to her stomach. She was white as a ghost and wavering on her feet some. Killian put a hand on her arm.

"How about I take you to the hotel and go after the lead myself?"he asked, concern for his partner evident in his eyes. Emma shook her head, pulling a cell phone out of the stolen purse. She started looking through the contacts, losing focus on Killian once more.

"Jefferson. That's her number one contact. I'm guessing either boyfriend or husband..." she said, and then looked back at the license. "This isn't a New York license. She's from New Jersey...her birthday is under a month after mine. Same age," Emma gulped and gripped at her head with one hand. Her own birthday had been an estimate. After she was found on the side of the road, the orphanage hadn't kept the best records of her age. So they made up a date.

"I'm taking you back to the hotel," Killian said in a firm voice. He took the wallet away from her- she protested, but was silenced by the look he gave her. He put the wallet back in the purse and looped it over his arm. Emma made a face at him, but he merely kept a hand on her arm as he hailed a taxi. He made Emma get in before he did.

The ride to the hotel was silent as Emma mulled over her thoughts and Killian looked straight ahead. She was chewing on her fingernails by the time they arrived, a habit she had grown out of a long time ago.

Killian led her into the hotel when they arrived. He seemed hesitant to leave her alone, but Emma assured him she was fine as she took Emma Grace's purse from him. He still walked her to her door, and let himself inside behind her, double checking just to be certain she wouldn't pass out in the bathroom, apparently.

"I'm fine, Jones," she sighed as she brushed her hair out of her face, looking in the mirror. She could see his reflection eying her and she gave him a small smile.

"It just took awhile to process...but really. I'll look into this Emma Capper more while you follow our lead on the Ferguson case," she told him, putting her business face on. That would give her plenty of time to research her look alike.

"Alright, Swan," he finally said. His hand lingered on the doorknob as he turned back to her. "I'll be back in a few hours or so. Call if you need anything. I'll pick us up some dinner."

Emma let out a deep breath when he was gone, and made a beeline for the queen sized bed, collapsing down in it and staring at the ceiling. She took a few moments to organize her thoughts before sitting back up again and slipping her hair out of its ponytail, letting the blonde curls fall over her shoulders. She stretched over to grab the purse that sat on the edge of the bed, and started rifling through it. There was very little in it- the woman wasn't very high maintenance. Emma noted the business card for the psychiatrist in Brooklyn, not far from the subway where Emma Grace- she called her Capper in her head- had ended her life. The appointment written on it had been today, at 4 o'clock. It looked like doctor would be short a patient this afternoon.

She eyed the license closer, taking in the features- her features- displayed back to her. She shook her head and started searching the rest of her wallet. Her heart sunk when she saw a picture of her doppelganger holding a little girl, with a man standing behind them, his hand on her shoulder. Both were smiling, happy-looking. The kind of family Emma herself had always secretly craved for. She felt an irrational flash of anger that this woman had thrown it all away, leaving her little girl without a mother, but she pushed her anger down and reminded herself that she didn't know the whole story. That's what she was trying to find out.

Who was Emma Grace Capper, and why did she look exactly like her?

* * *

_Four Hours Later_

_6:00pm_

Killian returned a little later than he had planned, with two pizza boxes in hand. Pepperoni and bacon for him, and onions, mushrooms, peppers, and pepperoni with extra cheese for Emma. They'd been partners on the force for over two years now, so they knew every habit the other had, including food preferences.

He was lost in his own thoughts as he rode the elevator upwards. The lead on the Ferguson case had been a dead end- the drug cartel had completely cleared out. They'd been chasing him for months now, since he was large in Maine. Several deaths by overdose were on his ledger, one of them being a sixteen year old girl that had lived across the street from Emma. Emma had taken it as a personal offense, and poured herself into solving the case. Sometimes he thought she was too focused on her job- it took up everything in her life, but he did admire her dedication.

Killian knocked on Emma's door when he reached it. He smiled when he heard her shuffling around, and walked in when she opened the door. He didn't get much of a greeting, but he hadn't expected one. When Emma got absorbed in her work, everyone else was considered a distraction and treated as such. He was just there to make sure she remembered to eat. She was already back on her bed. Scattered papers surrounded her- she brought a printer with her, of course she would. He wouldn't expect less from Emma Swan. He resisted a smile at her antics and sat the pizza down on the small table in the corner.

"What did you find?" he asked, going over and leaning against her bed, bracing himself with his palms flat on the mattress while he leaned forward to examine the papers. Emma glanced at him before she began reciting information.

"Emma Grace Capper, born December 1st, 1984, age 28. Wife of Jefferson Patrick Capper, stepmother of Paige Allison Capper, age 10. She lived in the suburbs of Brick, New Jersey, working as a journalist for the local newspaper and sometimes freelancing. Her hobbies included tennis and attending book clubs. She was the daughter of Jason and Alice Liddell. She was particularly interested in the town's aversion to fixing potholes," Emma added the last sentence with a hint of sarcasm and looked back towards Killian, laying down the paper she had been reading off of.

He could still tell she was troubled. He grabbed a chair and sat down on it backwards, his legs to either side of it as his arms crossed over the top to make a pillow for his chin to rest in.

"Sounds like you've been doing a fair amount of research," he said, his eyes searching her face closely. Emma looked back at him, her jaw working from side to side.

"Well, yeah. I never had a family. She could have been it," she said, her voice breaking just barely on the last word, a small thing that only Killian would notice. He reached over and put his hand on her shoulder.

"You can work on that later," he said quietly. "How about some pizza? I got your favorite."

"Cece's?" she asked, putting her pen down as she gave him a grateful smile. He nodded and Emma cracked her knuckles.

"Well, I guess I could take a small break," she said.

"There's a good lass," Killian teased her, his Irish accent coming out. She rolled her eyes and half jumped off the bed to open the box of pizza, letting the smell waft through the hotel room. Killian grabbed some napkins- substitutes for plates- and handed her a few.

"Thanks," Emma said absentmindedly as she grabbed herself two slices, her mind still on her research. Killian reached to get his own pizza, and they ate in comfortable silence.

* * *

_One Week Later_

_September 23, 2013_

_12:15pm_

Emma looked over at Killian, and he gave her a nod. They'd made sure this was during school hours; they didn't want to startle Paige. She rang the doorbell after taking a long breath, grateful that Killian had come with her. He was a silent pillar of support.

The man who answered looked nothing like the one in the picture Emma had found in Capper's wallet. His smile was gone, his eyes were bloodshot, and his hair was sticking in every direction. He was a picture of death warmed over. But his eyes sparkled when he saw Emma, as if hope was returning to him. A smile tugged at his lips, his eyes widening dramatically.

"Emma," he breathed out, and before Emma knew what was happening, Jefferson Capper was kissing her desperately. She was in shock for a few seconds before she managed to pull back.

"You were dead. They said you were dead!" he yelled, his expression changing from relieved to angry in a moment's noticed. He didn't seem to recognize that Killian was standing right there as he grabbed Emma by the arms and shook her.

"I'm not her!" Emma yelled, pushing him off of her, angered at the invasion of personal space. Killian was still standing to the side, ready to step in if he needed to, but he knew she could take care of herself, and she preferred it that way. Jefferson reached out and touched her face, tears welling in his eyes. Emma felt sorry for the guy. He had been left to raise his daughter alone again. His first wife had died in childbirth, and he'd married Emma Grace five years later. It must be a nightmare to be in his shoes right now. His eyes bore into hers, searching for a lie, for anything to prove that she was his wife.

But she wasn't.

His face crumpled and he ran a hand over it before pinching the bridge of his nose between two fingers. He looked at her again.

"Why not?!" he demanded, and Killian shifted slightly.

"I'm...I'm so sorry," Emma said, getting her badge out and holding it up to his face. Jefferson's eyes scanned over it. "I'm Detective Emma Swan...I was there when your wife died," she said, her voice hushed. He gulped, a single tear making its way down his cheek.

"Emma Swan?" he repeated in a small voice.

"Yes," Emma nodded and gave him a small smile. The man reminded her of a wounded animal, and she wondered if he was even capable of taking care of his daughter in his mental state. His bottom lip trembled, and suddenly he noticed Killian standing to the side. He took a breath, closed his eyes, and put on a blank face, opening the door wider.

"Please," he said politely, "come in."


	2. Donuts in the Lobby

_September 29, 2013_

_2:40pm_

_Portland, Maine_

_Portland Police Department_

Emma tapped her fingers on her desk as she looked through files on the Ferguson case. They were missing something, she just wasn't sure what. It was something she could feel on the edge of her mind's fingertips, but couldn't quite reach it. She had been too preoccupied with Jefferson Capper to be much of a help, and she felt guilty that she was leaving a lot of the work for Killian to do.

Speaking of Killian, she hadn't seen much of him today, just once this morning when she came in and got herself a coffee and they had nodded to one another in acknowledgement. She stood up and stretched, catching the eye of Detective Whale, whose desk was across from hers.

"Have you seen Jones?" she asked him.

"He's in the conference room looking over evidence," the blond haired man answered. Emma nodded and made off in that direction.

"Swan, wait," Whale said, and she halted, turning towards him.

"Yeah?" she arched an eyebrow.

"I was wondering if you could put in a good word for me...with Moss," he looked up at her as he swiveled side to side in the chair he was leaning back too far in. His fingers were laced together, resting on his stomach. Emma blinked a few times and gave him a baffled look.

"For what?"

"I'm looking into a job in New York, and he's supposed to write my recommendation," Whale replied.

"Oh. Yeah, I guess," Emma shrugged. Detective Whale wasn't her favorite person in the whole world, but he was good at his job. Not that great out on the field, but excellent at solving cases. Emma wasn't as prideful to not listen to his input. Usually, he did have strong points or connections to offer.

"Thanks," Whale smiled and shot her a wink. "You know, if I get this job, we technically wouldn't be co-workers anymore..."

"Dream on, Whale," Emma scoffed, walking away to the conference room, not waiting to hear Whale sigh in defeat.

Emma strode through the doorto find Killian standing in the center of the room, arms crossed as he stared at pictures hanging on the board. She could sense he was frustrated, and he had good reason to be, considering she'd all but abandoned the case that had once meant so much to her. Guilt gnawed at her stomach.

"Busy?" she asked. Killian turned sharply then gave her a smile when he realized it was her.

"Just the usual," he replied and cleared his throat, running a hand through his hair, which had been perfectly in place this morning, but was now a mess. Emma twisted her lips to the side in amusement.

"What?" he asked in an accusing tone. She put her hands up.

"Nothing. It's just weird to see you being the frazzled one on a case," she said, a hint of humor in her voice.

"It's been a little tough," he said dryly, and she averted her eyes.

She sighed, coming up to stand in front of the board and looking at the pictures of victims. They'd died of overdose from the drugs Ferguson had distributed. She bit her lip at the photo of the sixteen year old who had lived across from her, a young girl with bright blue eyes and curly brown hair. Alecia Marshall.

"What all have I missed?" she asked. Killian smiled crookedly at her form of apology.

"Not much, honestly. I've just been digging through from the beginning to see if any details were missed, but nothing. It's gone cold," he said, voice strained.

"The lead on him in NYC...any ideas who called it in?"

"No. It was anonymous. A woman's voice, Whale said. He got the call and didn't have the sense to record it," Killian said sourly, expressing his distaste for Whale. He turned towards Emma.

"What about the Capper thing?" he asked her. Emma shook her head.

"Nothing else," she sighed. Jefferson had told them that Emma Grace had been adopted and never knew her biological family. She was raised by her parents as an only child and everything about it seemed normal. Emma would have killed to get some DNA on her, but she had been cremated before they even talked to Jefferson.

"You know," Killian said as he slapped down a thick folder of files on the table and scratched the back of his neck, "I was thinking. Isn't there some kind of face recognition thing we could run? Off the record, of course," he added when Emma opened her mouth to speak. He knew she was keeping the matter private, since she wasn't sure what or who she was up against.

"What would that accomplish? I mean...she's dead," Emma said.

"I'm just saying it could be something worth looking into. Find out why she jumped in front of that train. She obviously didn't tell Jefferson what she was really feeling if the psychiatrist came as a shock to him. Maybe she found out something about her birth family."

"We could..." Emma agreed, the matter taking over her chain of thought. Killian could practically see the wheels turning in her head, and was at her heels as she sped off towards her computer. The computer keys made clicking sounds as she signed in, and then she started uploading a picture of herself. Killian peeked over her shoulder, watching the computer screen.

"Do it for the Northeast," he suggested, "run it against passports, driver's licenses, visas, whatever you can." She knew Killian had a feeling that Emma Grace Capper kept a lot of secrets from Jefferson. He'd explained his theory to Emma after they discovered she had quit her job as a journalist for the local newspaper almost three months ago, and had never told Jefferson about it, leading her husband to believe she was at work when she was gone all day.

Emma typed in the filtering options, and reclined back in the chair as the system started scanning through results. She frowned. This was going to take longer than she thought.

"How about a lunch break?" Killian asked. Emma let out a short laugh.

"It's nearly 3 o'clock, lunch has come and gone. You must have been really distracted," she smirked up at him as Killian checked his watch to make sure she wasn't pulling one over on him.

"But you should get something before you fall over and I have to pick your ass up," Emma added as an afterthought.

She stood up and rearranged the lapels on her jacket. "I think there's donuts in the lobby," she said, knowing very well that Killian refused to eat them. He said they were too cliche for their line of work.

"Very funny Swan," he shook his head and she trailed along with him to grab some late lunch.

* * *

_Two Hours Later_

_4:45pm_

Killian was passing by Emma's desk when he noticed the flashing out of the corner of his eye. It looked like the facial recognition was complete. He placed his coffee down on her desk and sat in the chair, eyes intent on the screen as he scrolled down through the results.

His eyes widened marginally as he saw pictures of Emma Grace...and someone else who was not the Capper woman, unless she had a serious makeover in the 24 hours before she died. Or Emma herself had a secret identity he knew nothing about. Either option was ridiculous, so he looked closer at the information given about this new girl.

Emma Amelia Blanchard.

His mouth opened just slightly. What in the _hell_ was going on? His hands fumbled as he grabbed a notepad and pen, writing down the information. He could just print it out, but he had a strange aversion to technology. He preferred the old-fashioned way. Besides, he didn't want anyone else in the office getting their hands on this- Emma trusted him to keep this case quiet, if it could be considered a case.

He was still staring at the screen, scrolling through the pictures of this dark-haired, tattoo-covered Emma- who also had multiple piercings and a love for the color black- when Whale came up behind him.

"What's that, Swan's wild years?" the man asked, and Killian quickly minimized the window, his jaw tightening in annoyance. He spun around in the chair and stood up, forcing himself to smile.

"Yeah. Got some real dirt on her now," Killian said jokingly while slipping the notepad into his pocket. Whale chortled his amusement and walked back to his desk, going about whatever business he had. Killian rolled his eyes and strode off in search for Emma.

It didn't take long to find her. She was in Captain Moss's office, reporting findings on the Ferguson case, going through the files enthusiastically. Killian knocked on the doorframe and Emma looked up, eyes wide with excitement.

"I made a connection," she said. His eyebrows raised as he stepped forward.

"Yeah?" he asked in interest.

"Seems Detective Swan looked more closely into Roberta Ferguson's past," the captain said, standing up. Killian tilted his head to the side. They'd questioned Mrs. Ferguson plenty of times about her son and came up with nothing.

"She said she had nothing to do with Nicholas's crimes, which still might be true, but get this," Emma rubbed her hands together, "Nicholas is not an only child. In fact, he's never been. He had a twin sister, a few minutes older than him. She was put up for adoption- Mrs. Ferguson was a single mother, and could only take care of one of them after her boyfriend left her. The daughter's name is Ava Zimmer, and she has been under suspicion of working with drug cartels in the past, but the police could never find anything on her besides stealing a car once. The charges were cleared later after she had a legit alibi, but we got her fingerprints and information in the system."

Emma's speech pattern had become more and more accelerated as she spoke, and by the end of the explanation, she was breathless, but not quite done yet. Killian interrupted before she could spout anything else out, wanting to get the facts straight in his head.

"Wait, wait, wait," he said quickly. Emma gave him a glare for cutting her off. He rubbed his left temple, trying to process. "Are you saying Nicholas found her or something?" he asked incredulously. It would be a smart move, calling in favors from your long lost twin sister so you could hide from the police. And with Ava two steps away from a criminal record, it wouldn't have been hard to entice her.

"Yes! I mean, at least, I think so," Emma said, almost skipping up to the map of New York that was pinned onto the wall.

"I think Nicholas got in contact with his sister maybe a few months ago. Ava has several apartments that she keeps, and some of them she rents out. She has two rented out to unlisted tenants. One in east Brooklyn,"Emma got a pin and marked the place, "and one a couple blocks away from Sunset Park. Both are ideal places for Ferguson to be hiding out- neither have any connections to his old stomping grounds."

"Are we going to go check it out?" Killian asked. Emma turned towards Captain Moss. The middle-aged man's forehead was furrowed, forming clear wrinkles. He looked impressed by Emma's find.

"Swan, I have no idea how you put this all together, but your theory fits. I'm going to call this in to the NYPD, let them check it out. They have the manpower," he said, and Emma's face fell.

"But-"

"I'm sorry, but we don't have jurisdiction in NYC. We can't make any arrests there. They can. Get your information together and send it to them, and I'll make the call," Moss said, straightening his tie and standing up, looking back to the map and the places Emma had marked. Killian looked over at Emma, who looked incredibly crestfallen. Her arms were crossed over her chest and he could still see the wheels turning in her head, making sure she hadn't missed anything.

"Get to it," Moss ordered. Emma nodded and briskly walked out the door. Moss and Killian exchanged looks before Killian shrugged and went after her.

He almost forgot the news about the face recognition program, so he pulled her to the side once he remembered, digging the note out of his pocket and handing it to her.

"The software, it came up with Emma Grace Capper, but it also detected this girl...Emma Amelia Blanchard," he said to her in a hushed tone. Emma's eyes snapped to his.

"There's another?" she asked, and he could hear the note of hope in her voice.

"Yeah...she lives in Manhattan," he said quietly. Emma tucked her hair behind her ear, reading over the information again.

"Triplets, maybe?" she asked, sounding unsure and a bit scared.

"Maybe," Killian said, shifting some on his feet.

"How..." Emma's voice dropped off and she shook her head some. They were enveloped in a moment of silence before Killian spoke.

"So...when will we be going to Manhattan?"


	3. Tie Up The Loose Ends

_October 2, 2013_

_6:20 am_

_Portland, Maine_

_Emma Swan's apartment_

Emma was flitting about her room, packing some clothes for the trip to Manhattan. She didn't know how long she would be there, but she and Killian had gotten permission from Moss- after some convincing- to check up on the Ferguson case and get some paperwork finalized. Of course, what they were really going to be there for was to check out a lookalike barista in Manhattan named Emma Amelia Blanchard.

She smiled when she had remembered how Killian had automatically assumed he was going with her. He was almost as interested with this case as Emma was.

When Killian had first joined the Portland Police Department, he had been an awful flirt towards Emma. They became partners after her old partner had retired, and Emma had been stuck with him since. The man had horribly tacky innuendos and mischievous behavior. It troubled Emma that he hadn't been as jovial as he should be in the past four months or so. She knew something had to be going on in his life, but she had no idea what. They had an unspoken agreement to keep their personal issues to themselves. Sometimes Emma had the feeling that if she hadn't blocked him off with her mile high walls from the moment she'd met him, they'd be in a very different relationship. But it was a rare thought, one she tried to keep sealed away in her head, tucked securely under the 'do not open' area.

She started when she heard the knock on her front door that abruptly pulled her from those thoughts. Her cheeks reddened slightly. She quickly slipped some pants on and went to answer the door, only to see Killian waiting on her doorstep with some drinks in hand. She peeked down at her watch to make sure she wasn't late. As expected, he was the early one.

"You're not supposed to be here for another hour," she said, including a fair amount of annoyance to her tone. Killian smiled.

"You're welcome, lass," he said, stepping in and handing her a hot chocolate with cinnamon- sprinkled whipped cream topping it. She could almost guarantee that his own drink was some black coffee. He sat down on her couch and brought a leg up, resting his ankle on his opposite knee and balancing his drink on his calf.

"Yeah, just make yourself at home," Emma rolled her eyes slightly, but a smile touched her lips.

"Will do," he nodded. "I'm assuming you're packing last minute, as usual?" he asked as Emma sipped at her cocoa.

"I'm almost done," she shrugged. "We can leave a little early- I'd like to catch this girl before her lunch break."

"And by 'this girl', you mean Blanchard?" Killian asked, using the name they'd taken to calling her. Emma nodded once, sharply, then went back to her room to continue packing her things, drink in tow. Killian looked after her and let out a sigh before leaning back in the couch and drinking the rest of his coffee.

* * *

_5 Hours Later_

_11:00 am_

_New York City, New York_

_Starbucks_

"What was the address again, Swan?" Killian asked as they walked down the sidewalk.

"322 West 57th Street," Emma read off the slip of paper Killian had given her. "A few more blocks," she added when she saw the look of confusion on his face. Even to the tourists he appeared hopeless in this city. She led the way, with her partner close behind her while they approached the small Starbucks. Emma halted in front of the door all of a sudden and Killian slammed straight into her back. She bumped against the glass of the door and Killian grabbed her arms from behind to steady her.

"Nice going, Swan. A little warning next time?" he asked, irritated by her abrupt stop. But Emma didn't pay any attention to him. She gazed into the shop, at a woman behind the counter who worked on serving up a frappe. Killian pulled her back some so he could open the door for her, and Emma took a deep breath before she walked inside, slipping some sunglasses from her pocket and putting them on. She knew she looked like some douche detective from CSI, but she didn't care at the moment. She had no desire to startle Blanchard while she was working. She and Killian maneuvered their way over to the other side of the shop, and sat down at one of the window tables.

"Milly. Her name tag says Milly," Killian said. His position facing the counter granted him a clear view. Emma craned her neck around to see, but 'Milly' had disappeared into the back room, probably on lunch break. Emma stood up and beckoned Killian to follow her as she headed behind the counter, flashing her badge to a worker who started to protest as she made her way into the back room.

Milly picked her bag up to sling over her shoulder when they walked in. Her back faced them.

"I told you, Ashley, it's time for my break, I-" she cut herself off when she saw the two agents and her eyes widened.

"Oh my God, am I in trouble?" Milly asked, her gaze darting back and forth between the two of them. Emma shook her head.

"No, no. I just...wanted to ask you a few questions. Is there somewhere more private we can go?"

Milly bristled, her expression turning suspicious. Emma could recognize the fear in her eyes, and came to the conclusion that Milly definitely had something she was scared of. She just had to assure her it wasn't them.

"Why?" she asked. Emma turned her head to look at Killian, who nodded. She sighed before slipping her sunglasses off.

"Hi. My name's Detective Emma Swan. Now, can we_ please_ take this somewhere less public?"

* * *

_1 Hour Later_

_12:45pm_

_Central Park_

The coffee shop stood about a block away from Central Park. Milly told them she usually grabbed some lunch and ate it at the park anyway, so her schedule wouldn't be much different with company present. Killian seemed interested in how the girl didn't seem very shocked by Emma and their similarities. The two of them were identical, save for Milly's hair, which had been dyed black and fashioned into a choppy cut. Plus there were her tattoos and piercings. It became apparent within minutes of meeting that she possessed a chatterbox personality.

Killian lingered near one of the ponds, beyond hearing distance from the women. Milly spoke to Emma with animated gestures and expressions while her conversational partner responded with a more composed demeanor. He kept a close eye to make sure they didn't leave without him, but otherwise, his thoughts drifted to the last time he'd been at Central Park.

He had moved to the United States when he was eighteen, with his father. His mother had died of cancer a few years before, and Killian's father had said he needed an escape. He had claimed that everything around them reminded him too much of his late wife. So they had packed their bags and had left Ireland, moving to a small apartment in New York City.

Killian had been lost the first week, trying to find his way in the city. It turned out to be a pretty frightening place, nothing like the small town he had lived in before. He hadn't liked the smell of it, that anxious sense of claustrophobia, and he had loathed all the noise and people. His father had taken him for walks in the park frequently the first few days, which had helped Killian relax some. They had enjoyed the semblance of fresh air and the muted sounds of the city which weren't as intrusive in the park.

But he had become more lost the second week, when he had awoken one morning to find his father gone, and had been evicted from the apartment, left with only a small suitcase of clothes and hygiene essentials. His father had left a note, something about being sorry, which Killian had counted as bullshit when he had seen the posters and the news the next day. David Jones had been a wanted man, and had left Killian to fend for himself so he could save his own ass from getting thrown in jail.

But, that had been over ten years ago, and Killian Jones was now over his father abandoning him. He worked a successful job, and was doing good for himself. He'd straightened up after a few months of being a wild youth, and joined the police department in Maine when he was 21 years old, eventually working his way up to becoming a detective.

Killian closed his eyes and leaned back against a tree. Maybe he wasn't over it. It had been eating him up since Father's Day this year. He knew Emma noticed that he didn't smile as much, that his flirting and innuendoes had gradually disappeared. He'd become more serious, less carefree, and didn't enjoy life as much. All this was credited to the realization he came to- he was alone. 9 years on the job, and he didn't have anything to show for it besides a close partner and a nice apartment. He didn't have a family, and he probably never would, though he ached for it. Life was a bitch like that.

* * *

Emma sat down with Milly, giving Killian a small nod as he walked off. Milly opened her lunch bag, pulling out two sandwiches.

"You want one?" she asked. Emma shook her head.

"No thanks."

"So, you're probably wondering why I wasn't as freaked out as I should have been in there," Milly said, taking her sandwich out of the baggie it had been sealed in. Emma could smell peanut butter and jelly.

"Yeah," Emma nodded. She bit her lip in amusement when Milly began talking with her mouth full.

"Well...I've been in contact with another twin." Emma leaned forward, interested.

"Emma Grace Capper?" she asked. Milly's face scrunched up in confusion, and she swallowed the food she was chewing on.

"Who the fuck's that?" she asked. "No, you know what, nevermind. I am so not the person who is going to be explaining all...this to you," she waved her hand around, as if 'this' were something concrete. "You need to talk to someone other than me...and that means either Booth or Nolan," she nodded.

"Wait, but who was the other twin you knew?" Emma asked, wondering if Capper had hidden her true identity from Milly. "I mean, what all do you know? Are we sisters? Separated at birth or something? Come on, I need answers here," Emma said desperately, and grasped Milly's wrist. Milly sucked down some water she had bottled and gave Emma a sympathetic look.

"Believe me, I was just as confused as you when all this shit started. Just...I don't want to fuck it up and make you freak out. Nolan or Booth are better at laying out the information, I mean, they were excellent at it when I joined the club, and I have panic attacks on a regular basis," Milly said, twisting her hand and freeing it from Emma's grip, which had gotten a bit too tight.

"We aren't sisters, Emma," she went on, "I'll tell you that much, because you're about to be knee-deep in some big shit that you didn't know was possible outside the Hollywood films. Don't say I didn't warn you," she said, starting on her second sandwich. Emma rested her weight back on the bench, feeling winded from the lack of information she received from this girl.

"So...how do I get in contact with them?" she finally asked. Milly smiled.

* * *

"You awake there, Jones?" Emma's voice sounded in alarming proximity to his left ear. He jumped slightly as his eyes snapped open, looking at her. She'd gotten up on her tiptoes for the sole purpose of trying to scare him. He couldn't believe he'd let her sneak up on him like that. Usually he would have heard her footsteps, but he'd been so lost in his thoughts he didn't even realize she had left Milly.

Emma's eyebrows arched into a worried position when he didn't respond much to her laughing. She frowned, and Killian glanced over at Milly still sitting on the bench, finishing her lunch up.

"Hey...are you alright?" Emma asked, crossing her arms. He nodded and forced a smile.

"Yeah. Just didn't get much sleep last night," he shrugged.

"Are you sure? You really haven't been yourself lately," Emma remarked. He stood up straight and waved her off, running his hand through his hair.

"I'm fine. You worry too much, Swan," he gave her a wink, and Emma's smile returned as she glimpsed a little of his old self shining through his eyes.

"So...I didn't find out much, but, here's the thing," she held up a paper, "I got an address. In Portland, of all places," she raised an eyebrow. She looked excited.

"Portland?" Killian heard himself repeat her, his voice forming a question.

Killian nodded over towards Milly, who was packing her things up and standing.

"What all did she have to say?" he asked, taking the paper from Emma and reading it. _E. Nolan, 852 Congress St. Portland, Maine_. One of his eyebrows arched up.

"Not much. She's a bit...flighty. I think that's the right word. She wants us to come over for dinner tonight at her house, but I told her we'd be gone by then. Apparently her mom's this great cook. Yeah, she still lives with her," Emma chuckled.

"So...looking into the Ferguson case now?" Killian asked. Emma nodded.

"Yeah...let's go tie up the loose ends," she said, and they made their way out of Central Park.


	4. Welcome to the Clone Club

_October 5, 2013_

_3:35 pm_

_Portland, Maine_

_The Residence of E. Nolan_

Emma stared at the front door, standing still. Killian hadn't been able to come with her- in fact, she'd scheduled it so he wouldn't be able to. She felt like she was dragging him around with this case and she didn't want him to get caught up in something that was potentially dangerous. If Killian got hurt because of her, she'd feel guilty and blame herself forever. Milly had made it seem like the situation wasn't exactly safe. So, she told Killian she wanted to go alone this time. He'd seemed put off and hurt at first, but he told her he understood, and she went on with plans to check out the address alone. She wasn't sure what she was expecting to find, but tons of scenarios had run through her head last night, so she considered herself prepared. She checked the number on the door- 852- one last time before she rang the doorbell.

It was a small white house with two floors, from what she could see. It could very well have a basement. The roof looked like it needed redone, but other than that it appeared to be a nice, clean place, somewhat close to a dream house. The grass was mowed perfectly, and some flowers decorated the yard, but not many, and not ones that needed watered frequently. She was half-surprised there wasn't a white picket fence with roses. Emma kept herself from pacing and stared at the center of the front door- which was a dark red color, and had no windows- waiting for it to open. When it began to, she braced herself, and an older, taller man emerged from behind. He had blonde hair that was peppered with gray, and kind blue eyes. He was maybe in his late 40s, but handsome. Emma took in a breath as he gave her a puzzled look, and she held her hand out.

"Hi, hi there, I'm Emma-"

"What are you doing?" he asked. Emma gave him a look, her mouth still open from where she had been cut off. She scrunched her eyebrows together and decided to follow normal detective procedure.

"Um," she reached down and began digging through her pocket. "I was given this address, from Milly..."

"Oh," the man let out a laugh, and looked around, opening the door wider for her. "Come in, quickly."

Emma stepped in, flabbergasted, and tucked her badge back away- the man hadn't even looked at it. He acted like they were on a top secret mission and if anyone found out she was here, they'd both be doomed. She still wasn't entirely convinced that wasn't the case.

"You're E. Nolan?" she asked once she was inside. She could see both the kitchen and living room from where she was standing. The kitchen was to the left, and the living room to the right. She raised an eyebrow- the place was a bit untidy after what she had seen from the outside. She reached up and took her long red scarf off.

"No, no, I'm her father," the man said, "Here, I'll take that." Emma handed her his scarf as he reached for it, and then slipped her wool coat off. He took that as well, and hung them both up beside the door.

"Sorry...Mr. Nolan," she searched for a proper name, seeing as he didn't give her his first one, "I, I would have called, but I wasn't given a number or anything..."

"David, it's David," he corrected her, motioning her to walk into the living room. He sat in a wooden rocking chair while she choose the couch-which looked like it had seen better days. "It's fine, I'm usually not home at this time, but I got called in late last night...I'm a police officer," he added in explanation, then studied her for a moment. "I'm sorry, but, you're Booth, right?" he frowned.

"Booth?" Emma raised an eyebrow, then realized she hadn't introduced herself. "Oh no, no, I'm...I'm Emma Swan." she instinctively reached for her badge again and then remembered it was still in her coat, which was hanging by the door. David appeared even more baffled.

"Oh...I...Em didn't tell me about you," he said, and Emma opened her mouth to ask who he was talking about when the front door opened with a crash. She jumped up, started, her hand automatically going to where her gun was usually at, and she turned to the front door to see a face reflecting her own. A face much like hers, yet different.

"Fuck, how many of us are there?"

* * *

_Two and a half hours later_

_5:55 pm_

_Nosh Kitchen Bar_

"Thanks for coming," Emma said when Killian sat down beside her. His eyes went wide as saucers when he saw who sat across from them. Emma gave him a reassuring smile.

"Jones, this is...Em Nolan," she said, gesturing towards the short haired blonde who wore a red leather jacket and mischievous smile. Emma had always wondered what she would look like with short hair, and Em was the perfect model for it. She wasn't sure she liked it all that much, but it did look good, she had to admit. Otherwise, Em Nolan was Emma's mirror image.

Killian gave the Emma duplicate an uncertain smile and offered his hand, which she shook firmly enough that Killian had to rub at his hand some once it was hidden underneath the table. The girl certainly had a strong grip, much like his partner's.

"So...what's going on?" he asked, eyes darting between the two of them.

"I brought you here, because I'm pretty certain my house is being watched. I'm going to kill Milly for giving you that address," Em rolled her eyes with a sigh, then leaned forwards, her face becoming deadly serious. "The other reason I asked Emma to bring you here is because you need to understand the severity of what you're dealing with. I don't want you halfway knowing the story and spouting it out to just anyone and getting yourself killed. We're clones."

She added the last sentence so fast that Killian wasn't sure he heard her correctly the first time.

"E-excuse me?" he asked, and Emma sighed beside him.

"We're clones. Science experiments. Artificial life. Carbon copies," his partner explained, on the brink of a nervous breakdown. Killian's eyes focused on her, concerned at the heaviness her tone carried.

"How?" he turned towards the Nolan girl. "I'm sorry, but this all sounds like something out of a Hollywood sci-fi movie...or a porno," he added as an afterthought, and Emma jabbed him hard in the side with her elbow. Killian grunted at the impact and gave her a look. Between her and Em, he was getting the short end of the stick on physical pain in this restaurant.

"I don't know how, I just know the facts Booth told me," Em sighed.

"Booth?" Killian frowned.

"Another clone. She lives in Ontario, you know, in Canada," Emma said, as if Killian didn't know Canada existed. "She's some kind of scientist, works with genetics."

"A geneticist?" Killian offered.

"Yeah, whatever. The thing is, Em and Booth both knew Emma Grace Capper was onto something before she offed herself. Emma Grace was convinced they were being watched, and they're starting to think she was right. There was also another clone in Massachusetts who died of 'unknown causes', but it all looks pretty shady, even to me,"Emma said.

"Whoever made us has to keep a watch on their experiments, right?" Em looked over at Killian. "All of us were adopted...well, not Emma, but...my dad, he didn't know anything about the clone bit, from what I could gather. He was oblivious, and so were Booth and Capper's parents...and the Emma who was- in my opinion- murdered. The common factor between all of them was that the adoptions were surprisingly easy," Em breathed out.

"You think the adoptions were purposely organized?" Killian questioned, sharing glances with Emma.

"Evidence would suggest so," Nolan shrugged.

"So why wasn't I put up for adoption?" Emma demanded, a hint of anger in her voice.

"I don't know. Maybe they lost track of you. All I know is there were six of us, now two are gone. Whatever Emma Grace found out had to be major. I know she had depression and some kind of mental health issues, but she wouldn't right out kill herself unless a hard blow was dealt," Em bit her bottom lip and looked down.

"What should we do?" Emma asked, unaware that her hand was gripping Killian's. Somewhere in the conversation it had happened, Killian wasn't sure where. It felt too natural.

"For now we keep in contact," Em started digging through her purse and dug out a red phone, displaying it to them.

"Welcome to the clone club. Rule one, always answer your clone phone. All of our numbers are already in it," she nodded, handing the phone over to Emma, whose eyebrows shot up as she pulled her hand from Killian's to grasp the phone and examine it.

"That phone was Emma Grace's, once upon a time," Em added in, and Emma grimaced.

"Thanks for that information," she sighed, slipping the phone inside her jacket.

"Rule number two- no telling anyone about this. That means you too," Em gave Killian a strict look. It felt strange- he could tell she wasn't Emma just by her small actions, even though she looked just like her. Em was nothing like his Swan.

"I won't," he said. Em looked straight into his eyes. It unnerved Killian to see the sincerity there.

"Good. Because if you did, well, then I'd have to kill you," she announced with a wide smile.

* * *

_3 Hours Later_

_9:01 pm_

_Gritty McDuff's Portland Brew Pub_

Killian ordered himself a beer as soon as he sat down, and massaged the back of his neck with one hand. He had a horrible headache that started about 3 weeks ago and hadn't stopped. He was also a terrible exaggerator, but the pain was real at the moment.

"What's eating Killian Jones?" he heard a familiar, chiming voice ask. He looked up tiredly to see a cheery brunette with bright hazel eyes and blinding red lipstick framing a wide grin.

"Good evening to you as well, Ruby," he nodded, and she flashed him a smile as she handed him his cold beer.

"Haven't seen you in awhile, captain," she leaned against the edge of the bar, inspecting him. Her gaze reminded him of a wolf's. Killian shifted slightly in his seat.

"I've been busy. With work," he said as he took a swig of beer and let out a refreshed 'ahh.' Ruby raised a defined eyebrow at him.

"For three months? Your boss must be a real hard ass. Or is it your partner?" she winked. He shook his head, but had a slight grin on his face.

"It's a work relationship and you know it," he told her- they'd had this conversation before.

"That's also your excuse for me not meeting her," Ruby pouted.

"My excuse for you not meeting her is that you have a lot of embarrassing stories to tell," he muttered.

"I'm sure she does as well, by now," Ruby smiled then went on to serve another customer. Killian rolled his eyes as he continued sipping at his beer, also drinking in the atmosphere of the bar. He hadn't realized how much he'd missed the place, despite the ridiculous bright green paint used to decorate. He didn't need that much of a reminder he was Irish.

He'd been exhausted since New York, maybe even before that, and it wasn't a physical exhaustion. His mind was constantly eating at him now, torturing him more than it ever had.

And then there was Emma.

After the discovery of the Blanchard girl and Emma's meeting with her, they'd retreated to the New York Police Department to review the Zimmerman/Ferguson case. Both of the kids were in jail now, at the small age of 23, and Killian couldn't help but feel sorry for them. From looking at their cases, neither of them had a good childhood, and both had been abandoned at least once in their lifetimes. Now their futures had also been ruined for them. It hit close to home, and for a moment Killian wished they hadn't been the ones to catch them, but that was their job as detectives. Sometimes it was tough, but he wouldn't trade what he did for the world.

"So how are things at work? What has you so busy?" Ruby asked when she returned to stand across from him. Killian put his beer down on the flat wooden surface of the bar.

"They're fine. Everything's fine," he said, and Ruby squinted at him. "We just closed a major case up- I wouldn't have gotten it solved without Swan."

"Why isn't that woman in New York?" Ruby asked. Kilian shrugged slightly, uncomfortable with the topic. He knew Emma was brilliant at what she did and she deserved better things, but he was attached to her- he wouldn't deny it, couldn't deny it- and a good partner was hard to come by these days. A new partner would definitely be harder to trust, and he trusted Emma with his life, with more than he trusted anyone else.

"Earth to Killian," he finally heard Ruby say and he looked up, startled.

"What?"

"I asked if you were doing anything tomorrow night. You're off on Sundays, right?" Ruby asked.

"Right," Killian finished off his beer, "but I can get called in if they need me. Plus, I can't stay out late, I have work Monday morning, and I'm trying to lay off on the coffee. It's bad for you, ya know," he smiled some and gave Ruby a small wink. She grinned and rolled her eyes at him.

"Well, Peter and the guys wanted to know if you could fill in with lead guitar for them, they're supposed to be playing here tomorrow. Felix is sick and they haven't found a replacement," she said. Killian grimaced some.

"I don't know..."

"Oh come on, you haven't played in forever," she half-whined, giving Killian puppy dog eyes. He sighed.

"I'll see what I can do, but that's not a promise," he said quickly, before Ruby could get too excited. She clapped her hands together anyway, enthusiastic. The girl had him wrapped around her finger, but he supposed that was what happened when you declared someone to be your 'adoptive little sister'.

"Yes! Thanks, I'll let Peter know," she said.

"Yeah, yeah, you're welcome," Killian couldn't help but smile again, getting his money out to pay for his drink. He'd come to the bar to think, but none of that was getting done with Ruby around. He'd have to do his thinking and drinking at home tonight.


	5. I Have a Sandwich to Eat

_October 19, 2013_

_8:30 pm_

_Skype_

"Alright, where's Milly?" Em asked from one of three ends of the Skype conversation. Emma smiled some, positioning herself in front of her webcam and looking to the right side of the screen, where 'Booth' sat. This was their first meeting- Emma couldn't exactly drive to Canada to go meet her, not with work.

"She's probably out partying. It's a Saturday night," Emma Booth answered and adjusted her glasses.

"Yeah, but I texted her about this, I told her the time and everything. I swear, she doesn't remember anything," Em complained, finally sitting down in front of her computer after pacing around her room. She slipped her red jacket off and looked between the two of them, placing a glass of orange juice on her desk.

"Alright then. Tell us what you found, Booth," she said.

"Well," Booth began, "it's all very vague right now, but all our genetic markers are pretty much the same. I got some help there from an old college friend."

"Pretty much the same? What does that mean?" Emma questioned, shifting from where she sat on her bed. She wore a camisole and some pajama pants, ready to slip into bed as soon as the conversation was over. The paperwork at the office today had been horrendous.

"Look, we're clones, right? But clones are...artificially created. So you could vary the genetics a bit if you had the knowledge and technology to do so. From what I can tell, there has to be an original."

"An original?" Em frowned.

"Yeah. The original copy. In art, the more copies you make, the less valued they become; in this case, I'm not sure what the exact differences are yet, but...do either of you have bad eyesight?" Booth asked.

"No," both Em and Emma answered simultaneously. Booth nodded.

"See, now I can hardly see anything that's not a foot in front of my face without glasses. That could be because of environment, but who knows? Another importance is, we all have different personalities. Is that nature vs. nurture, or something else entirely?"

"I'm pretty sure it's just a situational thing," Emma said after Booth paused for a moment. Em leaned her face against the palm of her hand, looking confused and slightly bored.

"Maybe, maybe," Booth pushed her glasses up her nose. "There's something I'm missing guys, something big." Her eyes brightened suddenly, and she looked at Emma. "Hi, by the way! I'm Emma Booth," she said brightly, as if she just noticed Em wasn't the only person she was talking to.

"Um, yeah, I know. Emma Swan here," she shrugged, raising her eyebrows at the woman's eccentric behavior.

"By the way, Swan," Em joined the conversation once more after guzzling down her orange juice.

"What?"

"Keep a close eye on Killian," she said grimly. Emma's eyebrows furrowed.

"Um, why?" she asked.

"I've been looking into some things. Looks like Jefferson was spying on his wife, sending some kind of information in about her. I'm not sure what, but...we might all have people watching us, people who are close to us. If Emma Grace's own husband was spying on her..." Em frowned, her voice dead serious.

"Jones wouldn't spy on me," Emma scoffed. "Who was Jefferson sending information in to?"

"Are you sure about that? Just be careful, okay. If he starts acting..strange or anything, well. Tell us and we'll figure something out.I'm not sure about Jefferson yet, but I'm heading down there tomorrow to check things out, poke around a bit. I might get something out of the kid."

"No, don't. You'll upset her, if anything. You look exactly like her stepmom," Emma protested.

"Except I have good fashion taste," Em muttered. "Anyway, Booth, keep an eye on August as well."

"What? August doesn't have a clue what's going on," Booth frowned, tucking a pencil over her ear.

"Or he just wants you to think that," Em said.

"Alright, alright, enough with the paranoia. There's enough of that in the world without you magnifying it.," Emma sighed, running a hand through her hair as she put it up in a ponytail. "Besides, who is August?"

"My husband," Booth said, and Emma's eyebrows raised in surprise.

"Oh. Well then. But seriously, Jones would never spy on me," she told Em once more.

"Don't say I didn't warn you, Swan," she smiled some. Emma resisted rolling her eyes, and sighed more, feeling a headache forming.

"Anything else?" Em asked both of them. She leaned forward, holding her empty glass.

"Not at the moment. I'm still waiting for some lab results to come back. Should be in by Wednesday by the latest," Booth said.

"Right. So call us or something when you get them," Em told her.

"You guys, if there's any others..." Emma frowned.

"Let's just hope there's not. We've got enough to deal with," Em said. "You know the drill. Any trouble, you call."

Emma sighed and nodded along with Booth at Em's words.

"I gotta go. I'll see you guys later," Emma said, the headache becoming too much as she flipped her laptop closed. Already dressed and ready for bed, she covered herself under the covers and almost went straight to sleep.

* * *

_October 20, 2013_

_1:14pm_

_Portland Police Department_

_Portland, Maine_

Killian immediately stood up from his desk when he spotted Ruby lingering in the front of the police office, looking worried. He went over and gave a hesitant smile.

"Hey, what's up? Why are you here?" he looked around the office, wondering if anyone had noticed them.

"It's Eric," she said simply.

"What about Eric?" Killian asked as he placed a hand on her shoulder, guiding her over towards his desk to sit down. Ruby sucked in a deep breath, void of her usual cheer, which worried Killian.

"He's missing."

"What do you mean by missing?" Killian leaned against his desk, facing her.

"I mean he hasn't shown up for over three days. That's like, long enough to file a missing persons report, right?" Ruby asked.

"Are you sure he's not with some girl or something?" Killian frowned.

"No, I mean, he hasn't answered his phone or anything, it immediately goes to voicemail..." Ruby gulped, "please help me Killian. He's my brother."

"He's mine too," Killian said, running a hand through his hair, messing it up. He searched for other explanations, not wanting to believe Eric was actually missing. He pressed his lips together and began flipping through folders on his desk. "You have a picture of him?" he asked as he handed her a form. "Can you fill this out?"

"Yeah, yeah, I think I do," Ruby nodded, looking distraught as she grabbed the paper from him and Killian offered her a pen. He glanced around at the nosy co-workers staring at them.

"Come on, lass, let's go to the lounge, it's more comfortable," he said, tugging lightly at her arm. Ruby nodded and stood, following along behind him. The lounge was empty save for Emma, who was sitting at a table eating a sandwich. Of course it would be Emma. She had just bitten into the food and paused to look up at them, her expression comical. Killian gave her a look that said he'd explain later.

"You can just sit there, on the couch, and fill that out, I'll take care of everything else, okay?" Killian gestured to Ruby. She nodded, glancing over at Emma as she passed her. Emma finally took the bite from her sandwich and swallowed, arching an eyebrow at Killian in question. He put his hands in his pockets, studied Ruby for a minute, then nodded to Emma before leaving the room, and she came out behind him, curious as to what was going on.

"Who's that?" she asked. Killian scratched the side of his neck.

"My sister," he said. He noticed a dark shadow pass across Emma's face.

"I...didn't know you had a sister," she crossed her arms.

"Well, she's not actually my sister. She just...is. We're really close, I mean," Killian tried to explain.

"How close?" Emma raised an eyebrow at him.

"It's not like that," he said, sounding annoyed. Emma shifted on her feet.

"What's she here for?"

"Her brother is missing. I have to help her find him," he leaned back against the wall.

"If you guys are so close, how come I've never heard of her before?" Emma asked sourly.

"Because it's my personal life, Swan," he snapped at her, anxiety talking for him. Her face fell visibly.

"Okay then," she said, her voice taking on a professional, closed off tone that made Killian cringe. "Where did she last see him?"

"I don't know, she's filling out the forms right now while I get stuff together. Then I can ask her questions," Killian sighed.

"Well, I'll let you do that, then. I wouldn't want to get involved in your personal life, Jones, and I have a sandwich to eat," Emma said before spinning on one heel and walking off. Killian growled in frustration before getting back to work.

* * *

_7 hours later_

_7:25 pm_

_Emma's apartment_

Emma laid on her stomach across her bed, cradling her head in her hands as Em's words replayed in her head. _Keep a close eye on Killian_. As his partner, she couldn't help but keep a close eye on him, but apparently things- a lot of things- had slipped past her. There were major areas in his life that he hadn't bothered to tell her about. So what else could he be hiding?

_God stop it, Emma_. _You're being paranoid_. She rolled onto her back and stared up at the ceiling with her arms splayed out beside her. Killian had seemed awfully interested in the whole clone situation, but she had thought he had just been concerned about her. Maybe she had read him wrong. She usually could tell people's intentions, but maybe her bond with him had blinded her. She jumped when she heard a knock on her door. She wasn't expecting any visitors. She hopped up, wearing her shorts and a tanktop, and answered the door. It opened to reveal Killian, still in the clothes he'd worn to work that day. Emma put a hand on her hip, keeping the door halfway closed.

"Isn't this a little too personal?" she asked sarcastically.

"Come on, Emma. Don't be like that," he said tiredly, his body slouched to reflect his exhaustion. Emma paused at the use of her first name, noting the dark circles beneath his eyes. She frowned and opened the door wider to let him in, closing it behind him and crossing her arms over her chest. Killian made himself at home- as always- and sat down on the couch.

"What is going on with you?" Emma asked softly, sitting down beside him.

"I don't know what you mean," he responded.

"You haven't been yourself for weeks, maybe months now. Hardly an innuendo passed at all. That's definitely not like you. And then I find out there's major areas of your life I don't know anything about. Why didn't you tell me about Ruby?"she asked. Killian looked over at her.

"Ruby...Ruby's Ruby. Her and Eric haven't had the best life, and I guess I stepped in as a sort of older brother for them several years ago. I helped them get off the streets when they were kids, I wanted them away from drugs. Granted, Ruby's working in a bar now, but it's better than other professions. I don't know why I don't talk about them, I don't know," he said, frustrated.

"You were protecting them," Emma said, tilting her head to the side as she watched him.

"I tried to," his voice wavered. Emma watched him carefully, noting the pain on his face.

"Hey. We'll work on this, okay? We'll find him," she said. He bit at his bottom lip.

"Yeah. I just hope he's okay," he said and stood up, pulling his phone out of back pocket and pulling up a picture. He handed the phone to Emma, showing a picture of a young man with black hair and blue eyes who looked a lot like Killian.

"You sure you aren't related?" Emma asked after taking the phone. Killian raised an eyebrow in confusion, and Emma shook her head. "You guys look a lot alike."

"Haven't noticed," Killian shrugged.

"Anything else I don't know about you, Jones?" she teased some. He appeared to think for a moment.

"Well, I play guitar," he smiled.

"You'll have to play for me some time," Emma said as she stood up.

"What are you doing?" he frowned.

"If we're going to find Eric, we'll have to get to work. Give me a minute to get changed and I'll be right out," Emma said, and Killian smiled some as he watched her walk back to his room. Emma was half-dressed with her shorts still on and a long sleeved shirt when she got the call from Em. She ran back out of her room, her eyes locking on Killian with her red phone still pressed up against her face.

"Milly's dead," she said breathlessly, her eyes wide.


	6. I Don't Scare Easy

_October 20, 2013_

_11:31 am_

_Killian's apartment_

_Portland, Maine_

"Ruby?" Emma asked as she stepped into Killian's apartment. It was small and simple, with some worn out furniture Killian hadn't bothered to replace. However, everything was clean. Her partner was right behind her as she walked in. Ruby, clad mostly in red, stood up as Emma held her hand out, and they shook.

"Hey, I'm Emma."

"Ha, yeah, I know, Killian talks about you all the time-" she cut herself off when Killian made a motion at her, teeth gritted and glaring as he drew his finger across his neck. Ruby gulped, straightening her short red skirt out.

"Oh, really?" Emma smiled and looked over her shoulder at Killian, smirking at him. He ignored her.

Emma settled down on the couch, and motioned Ruby to sit down beside her. Killian sat across from them in a chair, his fingers tapping nervously on the arms of it.

"I'm just going to go over these questions against with you, to double check everything," Emma said, taking the clipboard she had been holding and placing it on her lap. Killian dug a pen out of his pocket and tossed it to her when Emma looked up at him. She caught it deftly in one hand and smiled. She started going over the basics at first- Eric's full name, date of birth, any possible medical conditions, address, etc.

"And when did you last see him?" Emma asked.

"About four days ago on Thursday morning. I was coming home from night shift just as he was leaving for work," Ruby took a deep, staggered breath. "He never showed up."

"Where does he work?"

"Everett Street Autoworks, in town. He started the job about a month ago, he wouldn't have just left without notice, he worked hard for that job..."Ruby began to ramble and Emma put a hand on her shoulder.

She could see Killian grip at his chin in one hand, his fingers running over stubble that normally would have been shaved. Ruby sucked in a much needed breath.

"So you were the last person to see him?" Emma frowned, putting her hand down.

"Yeah. His girlfriend, Ariel, called him on his way to work, but it was a short conversation," Ruby bit her bottom lip.

"Since when did he have a girlfriend?" Killian sputtered.

"Since last Monday," Ruby shrugged.

"Huh," was all Killian said, looking a bit put off. Ruby narrowed her eyes at him.

"Which you would know if you spent any actual time with us," she said, and Emma arched an eyebrow, looking over to see Killian's reaction. He sat a bit straighter, his eyes focused on Ruby.

"I've told you, I was busy at work," he told her. Emma pressed her lips together at the lie, but didn't say anything. Alarm bells still rang off in her head, wondering if he was involved in something other than work- spying on her. She shook the thought away. No. Killian would never do that. Em just did an excellent job at making her paranoid.

"Sure you were," Ruby replied sourly. "Just please, find him," she said when she turned her attention back to Emma. Emma gave her a weak smile.

"We'll do our best."

* * *

_3 Hours Later_

_2:45 pm_

After thoroughly questioning Ruby and getting all the information they could from her, Killian and Emma hit the streets. First, they went to Eric's work, checking there with the manager. He said Eric had disappeared and not shown up for work. He didn't seem happy about it, but was shocked when they informed him that Eric was missing. He wished them luck, and they went on their way.

Next, they went to Ariel's house, but she wasn't home.

"Think she's at work?" Emma asked Killian.

"Could be. I don't know."

"Hm," Emma responded, and they continued on their way. They checked out the club Eric often frequented, to the bar Ruby worked at, and even the church Eric had attended a few times. They came up with nothing.

When they were too exhausted to do any more searching or questioning, they went back to the police department. Emma slumped down on the chair at her desk, trying to ignore what she had pushed to the back of her mind.

As if on cue, her red phone rang. Emma groaned and answered it, going towards a conference room as Em began talking.

"She was found in an alley, stabbed and strangled, but she wasn't killed there. From what the police could tell, there were traces of her blood in her apartment, and they think that's where the murder happened," Em rattled off.

"Wait, how do you know all this?" Emma asked, sitting down on the table in the middle of the room.

"I talked to her mom. She knows everything, Milly couldn't keep her mouth shut. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. God, I can't believe she's gone. And Emma Grace..." her voice trailed off.

"Where are you now?" Emma asked, changing the subject.

"En route to NYC, then to New Jersey to stalk Jefferson. The guy's shady as fuck. I should be back in a week or so, if things go well and I don't end up in Jefferson's wood chipper. I don't know if he actually has one, but you never know. This is a game of survival now. I wonder who's next," she said ominously.

"Don't say that," Emma snapped. It was the very thing she didn't want to think about.

"Well, it's the truth, hon. Whether you want to believe it or not, that's three down, three to go. And you and me, well, we're the closest to New York. Maybe Booth will get out of this alive, if you haven't noticed, it's always the Canadians who survive, and us Americans are the ones headed straight to the slaughter house. But who knows, with people fucking monitoring us. Like we're some guinea pigs being experimented on in a 10th grade science lab," Em said.

"Look, we just have to be more careful. And not freak out," Emma reminded her.

"I'm not freaking out, I'm not. I'm a pretty calm person, I get it from my dad. That's why I work well as a bounty hunter. I'm just laying out the truth that you strive to avoid, I'm not going to water it down for you or anyone else," Em replied.

"I'm not avoiding anything. I'm knee deep in this shit, okay?" Emma spat. She looked up when she heard the door to the conference room open. Killian walked in, giving her a quizzical look.

"Touchy," Em remarked. Emma rolled her eyes.

"Here's the thing, Em. I don't scare easy. You may be a bounty hunter, but I'm a detective, and I've seen more than you'd like to know. Whoever is on this killing spree is going to have to get past my gun. Which no one has done," she said, and could sense Killian's curiosity when she glanced at him "I have to go, talk to you later, goodbye," she said quickly and hung up before Em could respond.

"Everything alright?" Killian frowned, closing the door and leaning back against it with his arms crossed. Emma jumped off the table she was sitting on and slipped the red phone into the pocket of her jacket.

"Oh, just peachy," Emma growled, pushing her hair out of her face. "What's the news with Eric?"

"Not much. But it seems Ariel, his girlfriend, is missing as well."

"What?" Emma's eyes widened. "Are we sure they didn't run off together?"

"They haven't been together long enough for that, and Eric's too dependent on his sister to run away. But I do recommend looking in more to this Ariel character," Killian suggested.

Emma nodded and pushed him away from the door so she could open it. She strode back out towards the bullpen, her mind pushed back into the detective mindset. Whatever crap came with this clone business, she could deal with. She sure as hell wasn't going to let it hinder her job.

* * *

_October 23, 2013_

_6:51 pm_

_Portland Police Department_

Three days passed, and they weren't any closer to finding Eric. Killian became more worried and frazzled with each day, and the dark circles under his eyes were prominent. They couldn't find anything on Ariel, besides the fact that she had six sisters, her mother had died when she was a kid, and her father was a gym teacher at one of the high schools and very protective of his daughters.

When a fax came through for her, Whale threw it on her desk, and Emma didn't think much of it. The folder encasing the paper was shoved to the side as she obsessed over finding Eric. It was important to Killian, so it was important to her. By the time she remembered the paper, the work day had passed. She sat down and leaned back in her padded computer chair, and opened the folder.

She cursed when she saw what it contained. Who had sent it? She looked around the department for Whale, but he'd apparently already left. She hoped he hadn't been nosy. She didn't need him asking questions.

Emma stared at the autopsy report for what seemed like hours, trying to process the information in front of her. September 3rd-7th. _September 3rd-7th_. It didn't _make sense_; nothing made sense anymore. Her hands shook as she picked the paper up and pulled herself together as she walked towards Killian's desk. He was on the phone.

"Uh-huh. Yeah, I'm working on it..." he paused when he saw Emma. "Hey, can I call you back? Something's come up. Thanks." He hung up the phone and stood, worry flashing in his eyes.

"I got a fax," Emma handed him the paper. Killian took it from her, looking over it.

"Milly's autopsy report. Cause of death, asphyxiation, though she was stabbed multiple times. We knew this already," Killian's eyebrows scrunched together. Emma let her breath out.

"Killian, we talked to her after the date the autopsy said she had died. It was October the 2nd when we went to New York, and her date of death is listed sometime in early September. _Before_ Emma Grace jumped," Emma said.

"That's not possible," Killian breathed out, eyes scanning over the report again.

"If there's another clone that they don't know about, it is. Or..."

"Or what?"

"Or it could be one of them," Emma let out a deep breath.

"You don't trust them?" Killian raised an eyebrow, but his tone wasn't surprised. It took a lot for Emma to trust anyone.

"Maybe some. I don't know," she rubbed her temple. Stress was taking its toll on the both of them, it seemed. "What time is it?"

"Around nine," Killian answered after glancing at his watch. Emma rubbed at her eyes. When she heard the trill of the red phone, she groaned, yanking it out of her pocket.

"Mary Margaret wants to talk to you," Em said before Emma could ask what was going on.

"Who the hell is that?"

"Milly's mom."

"Why would Milly's mom want to talk to me? I never even met Milly, not the real one," Emma pulled her lip through her teeth. She was still annoyed with Em for faxing her that autopsy straight to her office.

"She thinks she knows who was watching Milly, and she wants you to look into it. Here," Em said, and Emma heard the sound of the phone being passed to another.

"Hello, Emma. I'm Mary Margaret," said a tired, strained voice, thick with tears. Emma rubbed her forehead more. She could only imagine what this woman was going through.

"Hello," she answered automatically.

"I, um, was wondering if you could look into Ashley Boyd for me. She was Milly's best friend, and has been since high school. I found her...snooping through Milly's things more than once, and now, with everything, and from what Em has told me, it seems suspicious," said Mary Margaret.

"Yeah, yeah, I can do that," Emma answered as she wrote down the name of a piece of paper and handed it to Killian. He read the name off while she continued talking.

"Thank you. Thank you so much," Mrs. Blanchard replied.

"We'll eventually get to the bottom of this. I promise," Emma smiled slightly even though the woman couldn't see her.

"I hope so. I really do," Mary Margaret said before hanging up.

Emma tucked the phone into her pocket and took the paper back from Killian.

"Looks like it's going to be an all nighter for me. Care to get me some doughnuts?"


	7. Come On, Jones

_November 2, 2013_

_3:15 pm_

_The Cassidy Residence_

_New York City_

"How did you manage to drag us all the way out here?" Emma yawned, leaning her forehead against the door of the taxi while the rain poured down outside, creating a maze of water trails across the window. Em frowned at her from where she sat on the opposite side of Killian, outfitted in her usual red leather jacket and knee high boots over tightly fitted skinny jeans.

"You practically begged to come," she said, craning her neck to see out the windshield to make sure the driver knew where he was going.

"Well...one of them right under our noses...it's an interesting case, alright?" Emma smiled, straightening the red scarf wrapped around her neck and accidentally elbowing Killian in the process. He let out a grunt, half-asleep himself as the cab stopped in front of an apartment complex.

"Come on, sleepy," Emma tugged at Killian's coat. He raised an eyebrow at her, but followed behind when she slid out of the cab and straightened the wrinkles in her skirt that stuck out from under a black wool coat. Em had driven them, but left the car at a parking garage, so they hired a taxi for the rest of the journey, which was only about two miles, yet two miles they had no desire to walk through the rain in.

Even though the drive had lasted five hours, Killian hadn't gained any sleep time. Emma had dozed off and on, but every time she checked on him, his eyes had been wide open, framed by those thick eyelashes. She knew he was upset over Eric; they still had no news on him. Whale and Moss were working the case while they were gone. Moss had seen how it was affecting Killian and had demanded, more than suggested, that he take a break. Killian hadn't taken those orders well, but Moss had insisted that this was becoming too personal for him and he had to remove him from the case for fear that Killian would become too emotional and exhibit poor judgment, which he had already been on the brink of doing.

He had become even more irritated when Emma had agreed with Moss. It had taken Emma, Ruby, and a couple shots of whiskey at the Irish pub his sister worked at to calm him down. When Em gave Emma the news about a new clone Booth had discovered, Emma convinced Killian to take the mini two-day vacation with her. He needed out of Maine or he was going to drive himself insane, and Emma considered it her job to protect him from himself, as she was his partner.

"Here we are," Em said, standing in front of the apartment complex after paying the cab driver. Emma tilted her head upwards, her eyes following the windows on the twenty story high building, wishing she'd brought an umbrella with her.

"Which number is she?" Emma asked as Killian stepped closer to her, hands in his pockets.

"232," Em answered and rang. "Booth sort of talked to her, from what I gathered, but she wrote her off, for the most part. So that's why we're here. I've got a delivery for 232," she said in a deeper voice when someone picked up. The door swung opened and Em grinned as they all darted inside, sheltering themselves from the storm.

"Let's go, then," she said, and started towards the elevators with a rather quick pace, excited with the mission they were on. Emma and Killian exchanged glances over Em's enthusiasm before trotting after her. The elevator ride was faster than expected, and Emma was the one to knock on the door of the new clone's apartment, albeit hesitantly. Her eyebrows shot up in surprise when a small head peeked out.

"Hello?" the boy looked at them, looking at Killian first. His green eyes widened when he saw Emma and Em. "Mom!" he called out, shutting the door in Emma's face. She bit her bottom lip, wishing she had known that there was a kid involved in this. Her mind shot back to Paige and how she had avoided her. She wondered how this kid was going to take it. She found herself gripping Killian's wrist as they all stared at the door. He moved his hand to hers and squeezed it lightly, reassuring her.

When the door opened, identical green eyes looked back at Emma. She took a deep breath as the woman looked between her and Em, briefly scanning Killian.

"Henry, why don't you go play in your room for a bit? I'll call you out when supper is ready," the woman said. Emma heard the shuffling of feet and a door closing inside, before the woman opened the front door further, still examining the three strangers, and revealing a large, lavish apartment. The woman herself looked like an average worn out soccer mom.

"I talked to someone on the phone, but I had dismissed it..." she said, voice breathy as she motioned them inside. Emma stepped in first, with her companions close behind her.

"It's a bit of a shock, so understandable," she nodded, then held her hand out to the woman. "I'm Emma Swan."

The woman gazed at her for a moment before shaking her hand. "Emma Cassidy," she smiled uncertainly, then looked to Em, who also introduced herself. Killian went last, and Cassidy took a deep breath. "Please, sit," she gestured towards her couch, while she sat in a loveseat just across from them, rubbing her temples.

Emma let out a sigh. Even though Cassidy had some indication of what was going on, it was still destined to be a long visit.

* * *

Killian mostly sat back as Em and Emma explained things to this new clone. He would add his own witty comment here or there to try and lighten the mood, but mostly his thoughts were on Eric. Emma had insisted it would do Eric no good for Killian to keep worrying about him all the time. The effects of his anxiety were starting to show, as Killian could barely sleep.

He'd never considered himself much of a family man- he was much more of a free spirit. But the kidnapping had thrown into sharp relief the fact that Ruby and Eric were the only family he had, and he'd taken too much of that for granted. He promised himself he'd spend more time with them if they ever found Eric- they had to.

The front door opened and yanked Killian from his dark thoughts. A middle-aged woman with black, curly hair and startlingly blue eyes walked in, pausing when she spotted the company. She exchanged a glance with Cassidy, then her eyes snapped back to Emma and Em, confusion appearing in them. Cassidy rubbed her forehead, sighed deeply, and stood.

"Milah, I forgot you were coming home early," she said. Killian remembered her explaining that her and her husband moved to New York a few months ago after his father died, to live with his mother. She mentioned something about Tallahassee becoming boring for them and Henry.

As for Milah, she looked shocked, with good reason. Killian could only imagine. He looked over at Emma, who had twisted her lips to the side as she studied the older woman. Cassidy went over and put a hand on her mother-in-law's shoulder.

"How about I explain things while we fix dinner?" she asked, trying to keep her voice cheerful.

"We should probably go," Emma said uncertainly. Cassidy gave her a sharp glance.

"Absolutely not. I've needed an excuse for having dinner at the table for months now," she said. Milah, however, remained trapped in stunned silence.

"Well. I never say no to food," Em said with a shrug and a smile, leisurely leaning back against the couch as Cassidy disappeared into the kitchen, dragging Milah with her.

For dinner, they ate spaghetti, and it was delicious. Cassidy went to explain things as best she could to Henry before they all sat down at the table. Her husband was at work and not present. Needless to say, it was all a bit awkward. Killian shifted and scratched the back of his neck, feeling trapped from where he had been seated between Milah and Emma. Milah kept looking at him like he was something to eat, making him increasingly nervous yet also a bit interested. He couldn't help but to flirt back; she was a beautiful woman, after all, despite her age. He ended up embarrassing himself quite thoroughly when he dropped a fork full of spaghetti in his lap.

He glared over at Emma when she snorted and covered her mouth to suppress laughter. Milah laughed as well, her laugh full and rich, but she was more sympathetic over his ordeal, offering him a wet paper towel to help rid his pants of the sauce stain. It didn't work very well, but he thanked her anyway.

Henry had a very inquisitive nature. Once he had figured out that Killian and Emma were detectives, he began asking a slew of questions, mostly aimed at Killian, who answered them with a grin on his face, amused with Henry's talkative nature. By the time dinner was over, he was almost questioned out, but Henry kept asking away, and Killian was happy to answer as best as he could. He'd always loved kids.

He noticed the strange looks Emma kept shooting towards him while he was talking to Henry. He raised an eyebrow at her, but she just smiled and returned to her own conversation with the women. Killian shrugged it off, continuing his story to Henry about how he became a detective.

They didn't return to Portland until late in the night. Once Em dropped him off at his apartment, the only thing he did before collapsing into his bed was to double check his phone to make sure that there hadn't been any news about Eric. He fell straight to sleep once his head hit the pillow, and for the first time in days, didn't wake up until morning.

* * *

_November 4th, 2013_

_12:45pm_

_Bay Club Fitness_

_Portland, Maine_

"Come on, Jones!" she encouraged him with a grin, a gloved hand shooting out to box him in the arm. Killian rolled his eyes, his lips turned upwards in amusement, but his eyes distracted. It only took a few more movements for Emma to knock his legs out from under him and land him on his back. Killian let out a grunt as Emma landed neatly on top of him, hands splayed out against the floor on either side of his head, and her nose brushing his. Their eyes met and she forgot about breathing for a moment, only focused on how their lower bodies were pressed together.

When Killian's cell phone began ringing in an obnoxiously shrill tone, she jumped and rolled off of him. He blinked a few times and she took a few breaths to catch up on her oxygen levels. Killian hopped onto his feet and went to dig his phone out of his gym bag after removing his gloves, while Emma remained sitting on the floor, biting her bottom lip nervously and tugging on the end of her ponytail. Her stomach tightened. _What the hell had that been?_

"Hello?" Killian answered the phone. His eyebrows shot up and Emma watched curiously. "Are you sure?" he grinned, eyes darting over to Emma. "Alright, yeah, I'll be right over!" he exclaimed and hung up. Emma stood up, curious.

"What was that?" she asked, taking her boxing gloves off and wiping sweat off her brow.

"They found Eric. And Ariel," he added, a wide smile on his face as he leaned down and kissed her cheek before zooming towards the locker room. Emma shook the shock from her mind and gave a slight smile after him, slowly putting her things away. It seemed something was finally going right in their lives again. She watched him leave the gym with a bounce and his step. She dressed out of her gym clothes and made her way to the station close behind him, wanting him to have a moment to reunite with Eric without her intruding.

When she walked in, the first thing she saw was Ruby hugging her brother tightly. Emma's focus zoomed in on Eric, automatically checking his physical condition. Besides the large bags under his eyes indicating he hadn't had much sleep, he looked fine. She then looked beside him, where a girl with fire red hair stood - pale but healthy. She assumed it was Ariel.

Then she saw Ruby step to the side, and Killian gripped Eric in a large bear hug, patting him hard on the back. Emma grinned and caught Ruby's attention, giving her a wave as she neared them.

Ruby introduced her to Eric and Ariel, and after all the pleasantries were over, Killian took her to the side and explained the situation. They had no idea who had taken the two; all Eric could remember was being chained somewhere pitch black with Ariel beside him. Their captor never talked, but fed them well. Moss and Whale were investigating further, and Killian was going to have the two of them stay at his apartment for a while, to reassure himself as well.

Emma told him she'd help wrap things up with Whale and Moss, and gave him and Ruby a hug before they left. She smiled as she watched the three of them leave, a sharp pang present in her chest as she yearned to have what Killian had - a family.


	8. Innocent Until Proven Guilty

_November 4, 2013_

_9:15pm_

_Emma's apartment_

_Portland, Maine_

"James," was all Em said when she showed up on Emma's doorstep that night. Emma raised an eyebrow at her.

"James what?" she frowned, stepping to the side to let Em in. Em walked past her, and went straight to her couch, laying halfway down on it. Emma smiled amusedly, reminded of Killian.

"My Uncle James. He's been spying on me," she said, shaking her head. "I should have known. He always gave me an uneasy feeling, especially these past few months. Son of a bitch."

"Whoa, wait, what happened?" Emma asked, interest heightened as she sat down beside Em. Em had called her earlier that day, freaking out about some dream about being in a lab...only she thought it was real, and further confirmed it when she had sent cellphone photos of puncture wounds along her arms, indicating where IVs had been inserted. Emma had been on high alert all day, but she hadn't expected Em to come visit. They'd already talked to Booth and Cassidy, to warn them. Em had been dead set on finding out who the people were who did this to her.

"My Uncle James...he's my dad's identical twin brother. I caught him digging through my room when I came home a few hours ago. He couldn't explain his way out of it, and when I accused him of spying on me...he fucking ran," she said. "Dad was furious when he found out."

"How come I've never met this creep before?" Emma raised an eyebrow.

"Well it's not like you hung out at my house any. We're trying to keep under cover on the whole clone business, remember?" Em snapped and rubbed her eyes. Emma sighed at her irritability, but decided to let it pass.

"So...monitors...how does that work?"

"I...I don't know, all I remember is just this blurry flash of being somewhere else, like a lab or something. God, he took me out of my bed after drugging me, then took me to be tested like a fucking lab rat," Em said, a hint of panic in her voice. "Hell, what else has he done? How many times has he posed as my dad?"

"Hey, we've got him figured out now, ok? We'll take precautions, and I'm sure your dad will be on red alert, he's a cop too. It's going to be alright," Emma said, trying to sound reassuring.

"He was my_ uncle_. How do I know who to trust anymore? The guy used to babysit me all the time when I was a kid," Em said in a hushed voice. Emma hesitated before she finally put an arm around her.

"He's gone now. It's going to be okay, I promise," she said. Em finally nodded, then looked up to Emma.

"Just...don't make my mistake. Don't trust anyone. Especially the ones closest to you," she said.

"Em...we've been over this," she sighed. "Jones is completely trustworthy...I should know, we've been working together for over three years. He even saved my life once."

"It doesn't matter, it could all be a cover. I've known Uncle James my entire life, he's_ family_ for fuck's sake, and look what he did," Em curled her bottom lip into her mouth.

"Innocent until proven guilty," Emma shrugged.

"Goddammit, Emma, I'm not asking you to fucking kick him out of town. Just be more careful. Do you want to be a damn lab rat too?" Em asked.

"Fine," Emma said, mostly to get her off her back. "I'll be more...cautious."

"Good," Em smiled and stood up. "So...can I sleep over tonight?"

* * *

_November 5, 2013_

_3:43pm_

_Portland Police Department_

Emma wanted to repeatedly slam her head against the wall before the day was even halfway over. Em had kept her up late last night talking. She'd finally passed out on Emma's couch at around two in the morning. The girl was clueless when it came to normal sleeping patterns, but it was all a part of being a bounty hunter.

When Whale came up to her desk, looking serious for once, Emma wanted to scream. Instead, she forced a smile for her co-worker.

"How goes the case?" she asked.

"Well, the important thing is, we found them," Whale said in a faux optimistic tone.

"So not good, then?" she raised an eyebrow.

"Still no clues as to who our kidnapper was," Whale said, handing some files to Emma, "but I did find something interesting."

"Oh yeah? What?" Emma said distractedly, still thinking back to her conversation with Em and not really paying attention to Whale. He scratched the side of his jaw.

"I may be out of line, and this is confidential and all, but I should tell you. Did you know Killian used to be married?" he asked. Emma's eyes shot to his and she blinked several times.

"What?" she asked, feeling like all the oxygen had been sucked from her lungs. "I swear, Whale, if you're messing with me..."

"I'm not," he responded quickly to her threatening tone. "Look for yourself. There's a marriage certificate to an Angel Licata. I've no clue what happened to her; Moss said it was none of our business, but still, you think the guy would have said _something_."

Emma flipped through the files. Sure enough, there was a marriage certificate from the state of Maine for a Killian Gabriel Jones and a Angel Nicole Licata. Winded, she sat down at her chair, still staring at the document. She wasn't sure when Whale slipped off, but when she looked back up a few minutes later, he was back at his desk. Emma closed the folder and placed it on her desk before cradling her head in her hands.

Doubt crept into her again as she wondered what else she didn't know about Killian. Come to think of it, she hadn't even known his middle name until now.

* * *

_November 8, 2013_

_9:55pm_

_Skype_

"August. _Really_?" Emma asked, a hint of desperation in her tone. She had become increasingly paranoid as each day had passed. She hadn't been able to sleep, and she had forgotten to eat lunch today before Killian had reminded her. When she had come home from work, she had immediately wanted to go to bed, but had been hindered by a Skype call from Booth, which had been marked as urgent. She had gotten dressed for bed out of view of the camera while Booth had explained August's suspicious behavior - not accounting for his whereabouts yesterday when he was supposed to be taking their adopted children, Aurora and Robin, to a soccer game.

At this point, Emma hoped the guy was just cheating, as awful as it sounded. Anything would be better than selling your wife out to some scumbag agency that they still knew nothing about, like they suspected Jefferson Capper had.

"I'm just checking in, to be careful. You should probably do the same. As a precaution," Booth said quickly. "It might ease your mind, you know."

"No. No, Jones is not involved in this. He can't be."

"Whatever floats your boat," the Canadian clone shrugged from the other end of the Skype conversation. Emma groaned and slumped back against her couch.

"So, any more news from Cassidy?" she asked.

"Some. She's been keeping in touch...just, she likes to talk. A lot. Mostly about herself," she said, reminded of the day Cassidy had kept her on the phone for an hour talking about her and Neal's wedding.

"The vast difference between our personalities honestly fascinates me," Booth said, and spaced out for a moment before shaking her head and returning to reality. "Anyway. It's my turn tonight to get the kids to bed. And Robin's been on a sugar rush," she sighed as she referred to her youngest. Emma smiled.

"Well, good luck with that, super mom."

"If I can blame August for one thing, it'll be going all softie whenever one of the kids wants a cookie or ice cream," Booth rolled her eyes. "And Emma, if you're not going to investigate Killian, at least confront him about the marriage. There could be a perfectly logical explanation as to why he didn't tell you. Don't let it eat you up, hon."

"I might," Emma said, giving Booth a grateful smile. "Goodnight."

"Later, Swan."

* * *

_November 9, 2013_

_11:14am_

_Portland Police Department_

Killian could feel Emma's stare from across the bullpen. He finally locked eyes with her and raised a brow. He saw her sigh and nod towards one of the conference rooms, and he nodded back, straightening his tie as he stood and made his way over.

When Emma entered the room behind him she closed the door and took a deep breath. He noted the folder she held tightly in her left hand.

"What's going on?" he urged her, his voice wary. Emma bit her bottom lip, opening the folder.

"Whale found this while working on Eric and Ariel's kidnapping case," she said, and handed him a slip of paper. Killian grasped it in his right hand, turning it around to read. When he saw the document, his eyes narrowed angrily.

"Whale had no right-"

"To what, Killian? Look for things to lead to Eric's rescue? Hm? Or to show me? Because you obviously have so much you don't feel the need to share with me. It's not like we're partners or anything. It's not like we saved each others' lives before," Emma hissed and crossed her arms over her chest after throwing the folder onto the conference table. "What it_ is_ like is, I don't know you at all. God, Killian, if you can't trust me enough with this, how do you trust me to be your partner? I told you everything -_everything_ - when it came to my personal life. I guess it was just too much to ask for you to do the same."

Killian turned his back towards her, placing the copy of his marriage license on top of the closed folder. He pinched the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes for a moment before turning back to Emma.

"What do you want to know?" he asked, his voice cracking on he last syllable. Emma's eyes searched his face.

"What happened?"

"She died," he said simply, leaning back against the table, crossing his arms and ankles and trying to ignore the painful weight in his chest. Emma seemed taken aback, but she simply waited for him to say more. He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "We were married for a total of two months, before I even met Ruby and Eric...it was a long time ago. She died instantly in a car crash."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Emma asked in a softened tone.

"It's...I don't talk about it...Just don't tell anyone else. I'll deal with Whale too," he kept his eyes averted from her. Emma stepped towards him, and he tensed.

"I'm sorry," she said, and put a hand on his arm before leaving the room. Killian let out a breath and gripped at one side of his hair nervously before gathering up the papers on the table and heading back to work.

* * *

The rest of the day was tense, with Emma and Killian sneaking glances at each other from across the room. No new cases had come in, except one for petty larceny, which another pair of detectives had taken on. Mostly paperwork had to be filed, which was obviously the less exciting side of the job.

Killian finished his quickly, and left an hour earlier than usual so he could go check up on Eric and Ruby. Eric would have just gotten off work at this time, and Ruby's shift didn't start until later, so Killian had insisted on them coming over and sharing some take out with him. Ariel was invited as well- Killian was making good on the promise to spend more time with his family.

Ruby was already helping herself to a beer when he got there- a part of him regretted giving both Ruby and Eric a key, considering all the food they loved to steal. But what the hell, they were young, and it wasn't like he didn't have the money to spend.

"Yes, Ruby, make yourself at home," he said sarcastically as he shut the door behind him, placing his keys down on the table, but he had a smile on his face. Ruby grinned from where she was laying in the recliner, watching television with a beer in one hand and a remote in the other.

"Such a gracious host," Ruby shot back at him before turning her attention back to the chick flick she was watching. Killian smiled crookedly and went into his small kitchen, grabbing some pop for himself- there would be plenty of heavy drinking for him to do later, when Ruby and Eric were gone. He came back out into the living space and plopped down on the couch.

"How was work?" Ruby asked, turning the volume down on her movie as Killian opened his can of pop and took a swig.

"It was a genuine paperwork day," he said, trying to keep a light tone to his voice.

"Well that sucks. What else happened?" she asked. Killian winced.

"Nothing, really," he shrugged.

"Then why are you sulking? Did Emma get a hot date with someone?" she asked.

"No. And why would that bother me?" Killian grumbled. Ruby rolled her eyes, and was about to say more when the doorknob turned, and Eric walked in, leading a redheaded Ariel behind him. He carried a bag of take out in his left hand, and held it up.

"Dinner's ready," he smiled, and Killian got up to hug him and greet Ariel while Ruby set to finding her order after tousling her brother's hair. As they ate the take out in front of the television, Killian reminded himself how lucky he really was.


	9. We Have Some Whale Watching To Do

_November 15, 2013_

_4:30pm_

_Portland Police Department_

_Portland, Maine_

"Swan."

"What?" Emma asked, looking up at Killian from where she was filing paperwork at her desk. He ran his bottom lip along the edge of his teeth, sitting down on a small chair at the side of her desk.

"Will you go on a fake date with me tonight?" he asked. Emma's eyes widened.

"Excuse me?"she asked. Killian shifted awkwardly in his seat.

"Whale asked Ruby on a date. Apparently they really hit it off while he was running Eric's kidnapping case," he said sourly.

"And what does this have to do with me?" Emma asked.

"Come on. It's a known fact that Whale is one of the biggest players around. Ruby would kill me if she thought I was spying-"

"You want to take me as an alibi?" Emma interrupted him, a smile tugging at her lips.

"Exactly," he said.

"You know you could offend a girl, asking her on a fake date. What if I wanted a real one?" she leaned towards him, a spark of mischief in her eyes as she used a sultry tone. Killian sputtered and she laughed.

"I hate you," he said and gave her a glare.

"Hardly. So, what time are you picking me up? And where are we going?" she asked, moving back into a comfortable position in her chair.

"Uh, nine? And it's at a club...Ruby goes there all the time, and I overheard her talking to Whale on the phone. I can't remember the name, but I know where it is. So dress accordingly," he grinned.

"I'm not sure if I have appropriate club wear, but I'll see what I can dig out from about ten years ago," Emma said, signing a paper.

"I'm looking forward to it, Swan," Killian said, and smirked as he stood and walked back to his desk.

* * *

_Four and a half hours later_

_8:55pm_

_Emma's apartment_

"I really do let myself get talked into anything," Emma spoke her thoughts out loud as she looked in the mirror, straightening her red dress. She felt more than uncomfortable in the high heels she was wearing, let alone the dress that came to mid-thigh. She'd taken an hour to shave her legs, just to be sure she didn't miss any spots; she wasn't used to revealing this much skin. She groaned when the doorbell rang and ran a hand through her hair, hoping she looked okay for the club scene.

"Coming!" she called as she left the bathroom and trailed through the living area haphazardly, trying to keep her balance on the deadly heels. She opened the door that she knew Killian was standing on the other side of.

"They left about five minutes ago, I-" Killian had begun talking as soon as the doorknob had turned, but cut himself off when he saw her. His eyes went wide, and Emma frowned, taking in his V-neck and dark jeans, trying not to notice how attractive he looked.

"Is this not good? I can change," she said, adjusting the top of her dress self-consciously as she stepped aside to let him in. Killian's eyebrows shot up and he pressed his lips together.

"No, no, you look...perfect," he said, putting his hands in his pockets. "You ready?"

"Yeah," Emma nodded, grabbing her purse off the counter, not noticing Killian's enamored gaze as she headed out the door, telling him to lock it behind them.

* * *

Killian turned the car into the club's parking lot several minutes later, and looked over at Emma, who was sitting in the passenger seat. She arched an eyebrow at him and he smiled.

"If we didn't work together, I'd say you looked hot," he teased, some old Killian that she remembered coming out. Her lips curved into a grin.

"Come on, spy boy. We have some Whale watching to do," she told him, then stepped out of the car. She heard a laugh come from Killian's side of the car as she headed towards the club. He quickly caught up with her, looping their arms together.

"Remember, we're on a date," he winked at her. Emma rolled her eyes, focusing on the loud music coming out of the building. This was the first date she'd been on in years, and it was fake. Go figure.

Strobe lights were flashing everywhere. Emma's first instinct was to head to the bar, but Killian tugged her towards the dance floor.

"No way!" she told him loudly over the music. She would kill herself trying to dance in these heels. He gave her a grin, looking down at her feet.

"I won't let you fall, Swan," he said. She narrowed her eyes at him. "Come on, they're right over there. I believe he's getting too handsy."

Emma looked over in the direction he was pointing at to see Ruby and Whale pressed close together as they danced. Ruby was openly laughing, and looked like she was having a good time. Her eyes sparkled as she looked up at Whale, who kept leaning forward to whisper in her ear. Emma sighed and took Killian's outstretched hand.

"It's your funeral if you do," she said and he flashed her a smile before dragging her towards the open floor. She cringed when she noticed that most of the dancers were college kids, at least five years younger than her, but was distracted when Killian put his hands on her waist. She gave him a look.

"Never danced before?" he asked innocently, craning his neck to catch a look at Ruby and Whale. Emma responded by tightening her grip on his shoulders, harder than necessary. It only made him smile wider.

"I thought we were here to spy on your sister, not dance" she said.

"We are. It's called multi-tasking, quite the art form, not to mention a good cover-up. Also a good excuse to have my hands on you," he smiled, craning his neck to see Ruby. "I don't know what she sees in him. He's such a slime ball."

"He's better than some," Emma shrugged, stumbling at his innuendo. She hadn't heard any of those in a while from him. Killian's hands on her waist steadied her, and she gave him a grateful smile.

"Any more news from the clone club?" he asked. Emma tensed.

"No. Why?"

"Just wondered," he shrugged, looking her in the eye. "You know, if you need my help with anything, or just to talk..."

"I'll let you know," Emma said quickly, her expression guarded. Killian's eyebrows scrunched together. He was so focused on her that he didn't see Ruby until she was right next to him.

"Killian what are you doing here?!" she asked, arms crossed and lips turned down into a pout. Whale stood awkwardly behind her, avoiding eye contact with Killian and Emma. Killian smiled and nodded towards Emma, lacing their fingers together. She felt a small fluttering in her stomach, and gulped, forcing a smile.

"On a date. What are you doing here?" he turned the tables on her, but Ruby latched on to the first sentence, and her pout turned into a wide grin.

"Oh my _God_!" she looked at Emma. "_Really_?!"

"Yeah," Emma said after a moment's hesitation. She blushed as Whale looked at her suspiciously. Ruby squealed in excitement.

"I can't believe you actually grew a pair and asked her out, wait until Eric hears-" she began rambling. Killian reached up and scratched the side of his neck nervously.

"Ruby," Whale interrupted her, a smirk on his face as he looked between Emma and Killian. "How about we grab some drinks?"

"Yeah. Sure," Ruby beamed up at him, but turned back to Emma, grasping her free hand. "Don't let him get too drunk, he's a lightweight."

"Hey!" Killian protested, and Emma rolled her eyes.

"He's the designated driver, so no drinking," she smirked. Killian stuck his tongue out at her.

"Alright, well, be safe, we don't need any baby detectives around here yet" Ruby winked, moving to the bar. Emma's face flushed bright red. As Whale went to follow his date, Killian grabbed his upper arm.

"I'm watching you, Victor," he warned him. Whale took a moment, sizing him up, then gave him an arrogant smile, pulling his arm out of Killian's grip.

"I'm just_ terrified_," he said sarcastically, then made his way through the crowd to seek Ruby out. Killian's jaw tightened, and he made to go after him, but Emma put a hand on his shoulder.

"Let him go. He's just trying to get a rise out of you," she said, and he locked eyes with her. For a few seconds, her breath was taken away by the intensity of his stare.

"Bloody prat," he said under her breath. He put his hand on the small of her back and pulled her back towards him to dance. Emma held onto his shoulders for balance, trying to ignore the heat racing through her. She told herself it was just all the body heat from the large crowd, but then Killian held her closer, and she had to keep control of herself as he breathed in his scent, avoiding any danger of eye contact.

After the next song finished, she suggested they get their own drinks.

When they sat down, the first thing Emma noticed was the guy sitting two stools away giving her a dark look. She frowned and ordered a martini, leaning against the bar and ignoring the stranger while Killian got himself a soft drink.

Then her phone went off. The red phone.

"I'll be right back. Watch my martini when it comes," she told Killian, who nodded. She maneuvered through the crowd, making her way to the bathroom.

"Hey, it's Booth," the clone said when she answered.

"Yeah, I know, I have caller ID, remember?" Emma asked, looking in the mirror to check her make-up.

"Um, yes, well. I was doing some genetics and DNA stuff-"

"I'm shocked," Emma said sarcastically.

"-and I was wondering about our origins, you know? We were based off an original, but who were the parents? I made Em collect some hairs off the parents that we know of- guess who Mommy and Daddy are?"

"I...I-I-I don't think I want to know," Emma said, leaning against the counter and feeling a surge of panic. Wide green eyes stared back at her in the reflection.

And then she saw the man from the bar enter the bathroom, with a gun pointed at her.

"Don't move," the man said as Emma lowered the phone. Booth's babbling was heard on the other end, but Emma couldn't make words out.

"Turn around. Slowly," the man demanded. She put her hands in the air, phone still held in one as she followed orders. Her eyes met his- cold, blue eyes, on the kind of guy you didn't want to mess with and who looked like he lived on the street. He was an older man, probably late 50s, which meant he knew what he was doing. Emma eyed the gun he was aiming towards her. It was small, around .22 caliber, but if the guy had a good shot, it would get the job done.

"Listen-" Emma said starting to negotiate, but at that moment he noticed her phone was still on. He growled.

"Turn it off!" he yelled, coming closer. Emma took a deep breath, and pretended to fumble while trying to hang up. The phone slipped from her grip and onto the floor, bouncing to the man's feet.

"Stupid bitch," the man snarled, keeping the gun trained on her as he bent down to pick the phone up. Emma took her opportunity as soon as his eyes left her, and kicked the gun from his hand with a sharp blow to his wrist that popped the heel right off her shoe. She cursed. He stood, about to charge her, but before he could get far, she kneed him in the gut. When he hunched over, she grabbed a fistful of his hair, then slammed the side of his head off the sink counter, knocking him out cold. Killian rushed in just as it happened.

"Got some handcuffs?" Emma asked, letting out a breath, her heart racing. The man had slumped onto the floor. Killian picked the gun up to get it out of reach, just in case.

"No...but I think all you need to handle him is a pair of high heels," he grinned, looking at her destroyed shoe. Emma groaned.

"Call in and get some uniforms in here, you smartass," she said. She then realized that Booth was still on the other line. Emma grabbed the phone off the floor.

"Booth, sorry about that," she said.

"What. The. _Hell_. Was. That?" Booth asked.

"Small run-in with an armed criminal. Killian's taking care of my leftovers," she gave her partner a wink. He shook his head, already dialing away on his phone. "Weren't you supposed to watch my martini?" Emma asked him.

"You were the one that needed watching," he said, looking down at the man who was laying on his side. Killian moved him onto his back with his foot as he requested for police officers.

"Hey, I think I handled myself pretty well. You were the one late for the party," Emma said.

"You guys are _nuts_!" Booth yelled from the other line. Emma couldn't help but laugh.

"It's part of the job, Booth. Hey, I'll call you later," she said, hanging up before Booth could say anything more.

Several moments later, Emma tensed when the man let out a groan, slowly coming back to consciousness. She crouched down next to him while Killian watched closely, making sure he didn't try to attack her again.

"Who sent you?" Emma asked in a dangerous tone. She knew he had to be sent- she'd never seen the man in her life, if it had been a sexual assault he would have been ogling her more, and you didn't go into a women's bathroom for random acts of violence.

"Fuck off," the man spat blood out of his mouth, that had trailed in from his bloodied nose. The sink hadn't been kind to him, and neither had she. Emma arched an eyebrow at him and looked up at Killian just as two officers came through the door. One began handcuffing the guy, reading him off his rights.

"He's got an ID here," a female police officer said when she found his wallet. She handed the driver's license over to Emma, who studied it, then looked back to the man.

"Pleased to make your acquaintance, Albert Spencer. Do you know the sentence for attacking a law enforcer?" she asked sweetly. He glowered at her, and she smiled back.

"How about a little trip downtown?"


	10. She Is Not My Sugar Momma

_November 15, 2013_

_11:55 pm_

_Portland Police Department_

_Portland, Maine_

Emma stared at Albert Spencer through the glass disguised as a mirror from one side. Her arms crossed over her torso as she chewed on her inner lip. They'd already interrogated him, but he wouldn't talk, and had lawyered up a few minutes ago while looking at Emma with those cold eyes the entire time - like she was something to eat.

"Do you think he knows about the clones?" Killian asked from across the room. Emma sighed.

"Maybe. Probably. I don't know. He could be the one who killed Milly. But I thought he'd be more discreet. It took them a long while to find her body. Whoever killed her didn't plan on assassinating her in a club bathroom," Emma ran a hand over her face, trying to keep control of her exhaustion.

"You should go home. It's been a long night...not in the good way," Killian cracked a smile, but concern still managed to show in his features.

"Yeah…" she said uncertainly. She'd been putting off going home - her house could get creepy once night fell and she didn't need to be more creeped out than she already was.

"You want me to stay over? I'll even make breakfast," he offered. Emma bit her bottom lip. She was always the person who took care of herself, and prided herself in being independent.

"I'll be fine," she said, her hands tightening their grip on her folded arms.

"Okay then. Though I'll have you know, most women want me to come home with them," he smirked. Emma smiled, leaned over, and punched his arm.

"Good to know my old annoying partner didn't disappear completely. Though I am curious as to the personality see saw."

"Recent events have made me prioritize," Killian looked down at his feet, then back up at her.

"I'm glad," she squeezed his arm as he retrieved his keys from his back pocket and opened the door for her. They both said their goodnights to Whale and Moss. Emma noticed that Moss was giving the two of them a suspicious look. Damn. Whale was a rat. At least it would be fun explaining things to their boss.

* * *

_Three Days Later_

_November 18, 2013_

_1:05pm_

The next Monday, they were doing just that. Moss had called them both to his office shortly after lunchtime. Emma could see Whale smirking from her peripheral vision. His arrogance, however, merely made her want to laugh, seeing as he had no idea that she and Killian were actually spying on him. He should be paying more attention to where his hands were when he danced with Ruby than on her and Killian stepping on one another's toes.

Moss looked at them sternly as he sat at his desk with his fingers laced together. Killian shifted from foot to foot beside her, and Emma got the feeling that he was trying, like her, not to smile.

"I am confident that both of you are aware that...certain fraternization between co-workers outside of work time is severely discouraged around here," Moss began, but paused when he saw Killian's smile. His eyebrows formed a severe, hawk-like gaze that would make a lesser man tremble. "Is there something I'm missing, Jones?"

"Oh, well, yes, a bit, sir," Killian smiled. "Whale may have...overreacted about certain events. If you're worried about Emma and I having a….romantic relationship outside the office, well, there's not much to worry about. Whale there decided to take my sister on a date, and I was merely taking precautions, with Emma's help, sir."

"You were spying," Moss said, nonplussed, not exactly in a questioning manner.

"Spying is a bit of a hyperbole, sir," Killian shrugged, putting his hands in his pockets. Moss looked over to Emma, and to her astonishment, he smiled.

"I hoped it was something of the sort...to be quite honest, it was none of Whale's pure business anyway. Well, then. Carry on," he said to the two of them, and Emma and Killian exchanged glances before leaving the office.

Emma couldn't help but notice the confusion on Whale's face when he saw the two of them emerging with grins on their faces.

* * *

_One Month Later_

_December 14, 2013_

_3:55 pm_

_Killian's apartment_

Emma let out a deep breath as she knocked on Killian's door, willing him to open it. She'd had a long day, even without work, trying to figure out as much as she could about Albert Spencer. Not much had turned up, but then she had received a threat in the form of a brick through her window- that narrowly missed her head - and she didn't want to be in her house alone after that. Anxiety was running high, and even though the old, annoying, innuendo-laden Killian had returned, he still had a way about him that seemed to calm her.

The door opened, but instead of Killian, a middle-aged woman with bright blue eyes answered, looking at Emma questioningly as she stood in her pajamas. Emma gaped for a few moments.

"Milah? What are you doing here?" he asked, completely puzzled. Milah frowned, opening the door wider.

"Killian didn't tell you we've been seeing each other?" she asked. Emma's eyes widened even more, if that were possible. She found herself speechless, a strange feeling lingering in her stomach, as if she'd been punched in the gut.

"No," she answered when she found her voice. "Apparently he considered it a personal life thing." Milah started some, and Emma couldn't blame her- her voice was thick with venom.

"Milah? Who is it?" she heard Killian's voice. Judging by the volume, he was somewhere in the hallway, and footsteps were headed towards them. Emma willed herself not to run as he peeked out, his hair out of place and his clothes looking like they had just been recently thrown on. He had a freshly fucked look that made Emma want to punch him. His eyebrows raised when he saw her.

"Just me," Emma said, nonplussed, and pressed her lips together. "Guess I know why you weren't answering your phone." She tried to say this in a light manner, but it came out angrily. Killian stared at her, then looked down at Milah.

"Can you give us a moment?" he asked. Milah looked between the two of them suspiciously, before nodding and making her way back towards Killian's bedroom. Killian stepped out in the hallway and closed the door behind him, crossing his arms over his chest.

"So. How long has that been going on?" asked Emma, still looking stubbornly at the closed door, refusing to meet his eyes.

"Why are you here?" Killian answered with a question of his own. Her eyes did meet his then, appearing stormy and dangerous.

"It's nothing," she said, preparing to leave. He reached out and grabbed her arm. She stiffened, poising to defend herself almost instinctively, and he frowned.

"Nothing? Has to be something, Swan. Unless you're a peeking Tom who doesn't want to get caught," he winked. Emma scowled, jerking herself out of his grip.

"How come you get to know everything about my personal life?" she asked snidely, and Killian immediately saw the problem.

"Ah. Well, you see, Milah's more '_sex life_' than '_personal life_', though I have to say, I'm intrigued that you're so interested in that aspect of my _daily_ activities," he smirked as he emphasized the daily.

"I'd say it's pretty personal if she's your girlfriend," Emma said coldly. Killian blinked.

"Bloody hell, Swan. She's not my girlfriend. Just a bit o' fun. And we're consenting adults, why is this upsetting you so much? You never cared about my previous exploits."

"None of your previous exploits lasted a month. And she's my clone's mother-in-law, do you not find that creepy? What makes her so special?"

"Are you_ jealous_?" Killian asked incredulously, nearing Emma, who stepped back from him. "If I'd have known placing my affections on another woman would get your interest, I'd have done it a long time ago, Swan."

"Shut up, you arrogant asshole," Emma pushed at his chest hard enough to make him stumble. "If you really want to know why I came over, it's because I received a death threat and I'm not exactly confident in my apartment's security at the moment. But, seeing as your busy with more enjoyable activities, I'll go over to Em's instead."

"Death threat?" Killian asked in a low voice, seriousness covering his face.

"Personal life, none of your business," she growled. Killian let out a huff of impatience and took her by the shoulders.

"Fuck the personal life shit, Emma, we've been over this before. Tell me what's going on," he demanded. Emma's face softened considerably at his obvious concern. Though a part of her still wanted to ask why she should tell him what was going on when he hid things from her constantly. In a show of restraint, she gently removed his hands from her shoulders and looked up and down the hallway.

"Not here," she shook her head. Killian began moving to open his door, and she gave him a glare. "Not there, either, unless you plan on sending your sugar momma away."

"She is _not_ my sugar momma," Killian groaned as if she'd placed an unpleasant image inside his head. She grinned, feeling the satisfaction of revenge. Killian studied her.

"I'll have her go, just stick around for a bit," he said. He opened his door and gestured for her to go in. Emma sighed before reluctantly making her way into the living room, surveying the couch before she sat down, hoping the two of them hadn't- No, she would _not_ think about that. She watched Killian disappear back down the hallway with a mischievous smile on that made her think she was right about the couch. She quickly switched over to the recliner and bit her lip at the mental imagery.

Several minutes later, Milah came out, dressed properly now, looking rather sullen. She refused to look at Emma as she left- Emma got the distinct impression that Milah didn't like her much. She couldn't imagine why; she'd been nothing but nice to the woman.

Killian closed the door behind her and smiled before turning to Emma. His smile grew wider when he saw she had moved.

"Worse things happened on that recliner than on the couch," he informed her with a sly grin. Emma ignored him, her gaze unamused as she began relaxing as soon as they were alone. Perhaps not completely relaxing- her hands were shaking lightly, and to her dislike, Killian had noticed. He crouched down on the floor beside her.

"What happened, Emma?" he asked. His blue eyes shone with sincerity as he gazed up at her.

"Brick through my bedroom window. It nearly hit me, I believe it was intentional," she said. "And it couldn't have been Albert Spencer. He couldn't have moved away quickly enough for me not to see him when I look out. I think he's on house arrest, anyway."

"He is," Killian confirmed and frowned. He appeared to be in deep thought. "You should stay here tonight."

"Excuse me?" Emma raised her eyebrows.

"Well, you shouldn't be alone," he snapped impatiently. Emma was taken aback by the conviction in his words, as if it were an already done deal.

"I suppose I can sleep on the couch," she said slowly. He rolled his eyes.

"You insult my gentleman self, Swan," he began, and she had to roll her eyes back at him for that comment, "-the couch has a pull out mattress, it's pretty comfortable, and unsoiled. I would offer my own bed, but I have a good idea what your answer would be, given the previous occupants it has serviced."

"You're a pig," Emma stated blankly.

"Ouch," Killian replied sarcastically and she punched his shoulder while suppressing a grin.

* * *

She sighed about half an hour later when both of their phones began ringing, and went to reach for her own while Killian took his from his back pocket.

"Shooting near the edge of town," he said, just as Emma began reading her own text message.

"Guess we should go, then," she said, standing up. She took the ponytail holder off her wrist and put her hair up quickly.

"I'm driving," Killian stated, rushing towards the door. Emma rolled her eyes at his childish antics as she followed him to the car and helped herself to the passenger's seat. She yawned as he began driving.

"Want to grab some pizza afterwards?" she suggested.

"Are you paying?" he teased.

"Sure, why not?" Emma replied, surprising him.

"I was joking. I'll pay," he grumbled.

"You always pay."

"I've told you, I'm a gentleman."

"Yeah, well, fair's fair, and it's my turn. Either I pay, or no pizza," she added, and that seemed to settle the matter as they pulled up to the crime scene.

"Give us the down-low, Whale," Emma said briskly as she spotted the blond detective lingering just inside the yellow tape.

"Female, 40s, two shots to the chest. .45 caliber," he added, and Killian winced.

"Any I.D. there?" Emma asked as she saw the wallet in Whale's hand. He held it up.

"Yeah. It was in her purse, which was on the seat beside her- she was shot while driving- money still in it," he said as he looked over her driver's license.

"Can we have a name?" Killian asked gruffly. Whale gave him a sharp look, but acquiesced.

"Milah Cassidy."

* * *

**My replies in bold.**

_actlikesummer_- This is such an interesting story! I can't wait to see if/when Emma gets hurt and how Killian reacts to it. Can't wait to read more! :)** Thanks!**

_Xarrya-_ Fake date! This story is one of my favorites. I can't wait for them together for real but I understand the slow burn. This chapter gave me so many lovely feels. They keep hiding what they feel for each other. Of course they find trouble on their date. These two can't stay out of trouble. I'm also really curious about Victor and Ruby. Victor is sort of suspicious.** Thankyou : 333 More Frankenwolf shall be coming up.**

_Zerousy_- Okay, the plot thickens. So Booth found out who the genetic parents are, that ought to be interesting since I'm actually dying to know that now that it's been brought to attention. Also, wasn't there another Emma clone? Or am I thinking of dead clones? Seriously though, why kill off the clones? Its not like they've done anything.** Yup! Except Emma is avidly avoiding the parent information, so we don't know yet, but it should be coming up next chapter. Not sure which clone you're talking about, heh.**

_Lisa1972-_ oh wow...I'd like to see more Emma Killian interaction **Coming up :)**

_Anne Nonymus-_ Ooh, some Killian and Emma sparkage! Loved him asking he Ron a fake date and their banter about it and at the club. Emma's reactions to him being flirty were cute though I would love to hear Killian's reactions to their "date", and would Whale be a prick about believing the partners are dating? Wouldn't they get into trouble with their lieutenant? Great job, can't wait for the next chapter.** Yeah, Killian's becoming more him old self again, the question that's going to be coming up though is whether it's because Eric's back, Milah, or Emma?**


	11. I Saved You First

_December 14, 2013_

_5:30 pm_

_Portland, Maine_

From what Emma could tell, Killian was pretty much frozen in place. She couldn't help but to gasp as well. Her eyes darted over to Whale, who hadn't seemed to notice anything was off. Sometimes she thanked God the man was so dense. She quickly pulled Killian to the side.

"It might not be her," was the first thing she said. She put her hand on his arm, but he had already looked like he was cutting off emotions, and she knew he was well-practiced in that art.

"Most likely it is," he said in a low voice, and scratched the side of his neck nervously. Emma could sense something was off about him.

"If she left for New York as soon as she left your place...the times don't add up, Jones," she frowned.

"We're going to have to figure out a way to keep Emma Cassidy out of this. If Whale sees her, I'm afraid you might have your cover blown," he said, effectively changing part of the subject. Emma blinked. She hadn't thought about it, but he was right.

"I'll need to call Booth or something….God, this is all so fucked up," she said in a burst of anger and stamped her foot against the pavement.

"Pull it together," he said. Emma felt a rush of guilt, and wondered how he kept so calm. She wanted to punch someone, and it wasn't like she had been the one to sleep with Milah. More anger seemed to fill her at that thought, and she shoved it aside while reminding herself she still had a job to do.

* * *

_Three Days Later_

_December 17, 2013_

_10:45pm_

"Mary Margaret and David Nolan," Booth said into the phone when she answered. Emma had been avoiding the Canadian clone for weeks, not wanting to know anything about her genetics. She wasn't ready to face it. Her heart thumped wildly in her chest as her mind sifted through the possibilities.

"Come again?" she asked breathlessly, landing on the edge of her bed.

"The genetic parents. I'm not sure how it happened, you know, it could have been some mixture of planned parenthood - the two of them don't even know each other, according to Em. I'm still digging into records as much as I can with some help from a friend. In the meantime, I'm pondering over the possibility that Milah was a monitor."

Booth said all this very fast while simultaneously typing away on her keyboard like a madwoman. It took Emma a few seconds to process all the information. She decided to focus on Milah for the time being.

"Killian and her...well, they had relations."

"You're_ kidding_," Booth gasped after yelling at her youngest child, Robin, to be quiet.

"I wish," Emma sighed and slumped down on her back.

"Well if you can get records on Milah through your detective work, that would be fantastic. Consider it homework. Now, toodles, I have to go make some dinner for Aurora and Robin," she said and hung up. Emma stared at the phone incredulously before laying it down on her nightstand.

* * *

_December 18, 2013_

_Portland Police Department_

_11:20am_

"Swan," Killian said as he caught up with her. She was glad to see that the incident of Milah hadn't stripped him of his old personality. She had missed it too much when it was gone to relinquish it again. But there was something wrong about the way he was handling it, that she couldn't put her finger on.

"When was the last time you slept?"she asked him. His personality may still be on track, but his eyes were baggy and bloodshot.

"Doesn't matter," he said impatiently. "There were no fingerprints on the brick that was thrown, other than yours."

Emma stopped dead in her tracks.

"You sent it in?" she asked and looked up at him.

"Well, _yeah_. That's what a partner does," he said.

"Did...do you think it could have been, well…"she looked around and noticed Whale listening in. She scowled at him and he darted away.

"Yes, your little clone club buddies occurred to me. There's no way to know. Whoever did it may have been wearing gloves as well," Killian sighed.

"Lovely," Emma said. After Milah's body had been taken to the morgue and they did all the investigating they could, she had crashed at Killian's place. Just once. The rest of the nights had been spent at her apartment, even though she had the feeling that unfriendly eyes were on her. She toughed it out.

Speaking of Milah's body, the coroner couldn't confirm that it actually was her. The face had been mutilated, and Milah had no records. Whale hadn't seen the body before Killian and Emma arrived on the scene, and once again, didn't know the facts. The sight had made Emma's stomach churn, yet she hadn't seen a glimpse of a tear from Killian since. It was strange, but she blew it off. Killian could be like that sometimes, after all.

"Listen, though, on a lighter note, Ruby's decided we're going to actually celebrate Christmas properly this year, with a dinner on Christmas Eve. She wanted me to, uh, invite you," Killian said, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"Who else is going?" Emma asked immediately.

"Eric and Ariel will be there," he shrugged, and then sighed, "I think Ruby is planning on inviting Whale, too….at least there will be opportunity to slip laxatives into his food."

Emma snorted, and couldn't help but notice that, if everyone attended, her and Killian would be the fifth and sixth wheels.

"What time?"

"Seven until whenever. There will be alcohol," he added with a grin.

"Well of course," Emma rolled her eyes. She smiled, though. It would be the first time in year that she didn't spend Christmas alone. Her smile turned into a full-fledged beam. "I'd love to come."

* * *

_One Week Later_

_December 24, 2013_

_Killian's apartment_

_7:05pm_

Emma didn't know what she was expecting, but the warm greeting she received from Killian and Ruby when she arrived for the party a week later was more than she deserved. Ruby took her coat and hung it up, Killian put her presents under the tree, then Ruby led her to the couch, demanding to know all that happened since they'd last spoken. Killian mentioned that Eric and Ariel were going to be late, and he sat down on the couch beside Emma, while Ruby was perched in the squashy recliner.

Eventually, when Emma got Ruby up to speed, the younger woman started questioning them about past events. Killian rolled his eyes, while Emma's eyes kept glancing at the kitchen, where delicious scents were wafting from.

"Oh my God, you're kidding, right?" Ruby laughed with glee and studied Killian's face as Emma told her about his appalling behavior when they first met, along with all the badly used pick up lines. His eyes merely rolled.

"I wanted to make an impression. First day of work," he smirked.

"Well, you certainly did that much. I couldn't stand you the first year we were partnered together. You have no idea how many times I complained about you to Moss," Emma raised an eyebrow at him.

"Until I saved your life," he chipped in.

"Hey, it was a mutual save, jackass," Emma slapped his arm lightly with a smile on her face.

"But I saved you first," he was keen to point out.

"And I saved you back, so we're even," she told him. Ruby looked between the two of them, amused.

"And how exactly did you guys save each other?" she asked. Emma's face suddenly turned more serious.

"I went after a lead on my own when Killian was late for work one day. I really shouldn't have, but we didn't think of the man as a suspect at that point. The thing that ended up incriminating him was him hitting me over the head with a two by four then tying me to his staircase," Emma sighed.

"I arrived just in time, when I realized where she had gone, and that she should have been back earlier," Killian butted in. He always enjoyed recounting his side of the story. "He had a knife and was ready to strike. I caught him in the shoulder with a bullet and knocked him down cold. I even cuffed him just incase, then I started untying Swan-"

"And the guy hadn't been completely unconscious. He cut Jones's leg with the knife. By then my feet were loose and I was able to kick him off balance when he tried to stab Jones in the back. Fortunately, all Jones needed was 20 stitches," Emma said softly.

"Wow," Ruby said. She looked impressed. "Really, Killian, you need to tell me more of these stories. It's good bar gossip."

"It's police business," he said dryly, and the corners of his mouth shifted upwards.

"Yeah, _totally_ confidential information," Emma rolled her eyes.

At that moment the door opened to reveal Eric and Ariel, both holding gifts. Killian got up to help Ariel sit her presents down under the tree and left Eric to his own devices.

"Oh, that's nice," the younger man grumbled.

"Ladies first, Eric," Ruby stuck her tongue out at him as he piled presents down on the floor.

"Shutup Red," he gave her the finger.

"Now, now, children," Killian said in his best impression of a fatherly figure. Emma and Ruby's laughter chimed loudly across the room. Eventually they all settled down, with Ariel and Eric sitting on the love seat across from the couch, rather close to one another.

"God, it's freezing in here, Kils, why don't we have a fireplace?" Ruby whined. Killian smacked the top of her head as he went to turn the furnace up and go check on the turkey. Emma, uncomfortable being left with Eric and Ariel hardcore cuddling right across from her, jumped up to help him.

"I didn't know you could cook," she said as she walked into the kitchen. Potatoes and green beans were boiling on the stove. Killian was crouched down and peering into the stove.

"You learn from being a bachelor," he raised a teasing eyebrow at her. Emma wrapped her arms around herself as another bout of laughter came from the living room.

"I turned the heat up, it should be warmer soon," Killian frowned as he carefully began taking the turkey out.

"I'm cold natured, you know that," she said. She went over and began stirring the potatoes for him. Seeing as the kitchen wasn't all that big, they were a bit cramped. Emma found that she didn't mind.

"Must be your cold heart," Killian chuckled. Emma elbowed him lightly.

"Speaking of cold hearts, where is Whale?"

"He couldn't make it. Last minute plans with relatives. Pity, I had the laxatives all ready," Killian made a face, and Emma let out a chirp of laughter.

"Should I set the table?" she asked.

"Ruby will take care of it. RUBY!" he yelled into the living room with more volume than necessary.

"_What_?!" Ruby squawked back.

"Come set the table!" he shouted with a chuckle. Ruby appeared moments later with a glare for Killian, muttering under her breath about a magic word.

Soon, they were all seated at the table. Ariel was remaining quiet, as usual. Killian had told Emma a few days before that the girl was partially deaf, and self-conscious about the sound of her voice. Emma gave Ariel an encouraging smile, and it was returned.

She watched Killian begin to carve the turkey, occasionally adding in to the sarcastic remarks Ruby was shooting his way.

"You really shouldn't provoke the guy holding the biggest knife in the room," Killian told them when he was done. Ruby ignored his comment and began to dig in. Everyone else followed suit, and tried to converse and eat at the same time.

Halfway through the meal, Emma almost knocked her wine glass over, but Killian - who was sitting beside her- managed to catch it.

"Careful, Swan," he chided in a lilting voice. For some reason her cheeks turned pink.

Finally, dinner was over, and tiredness began to kick in. Emma poured herself some more wine to wash everything down after eating a few chocolate chip cookies for dessert, that Ruby had made.

Eric headed straight towards the gifts, and began passing them out as the rest of them slowly filed into the living room, into the same seat as before. Emma caught a small package Eric tossed her deftly in one hand, and turned around to see the writing on it indicating it was from Ariel. Emma quickly opened it up, and found hard, homemade candy inside. She grinned.

"You made this?" she asked, and Ariel nodded with a smile. She took one out and stuck it in her mouth, enjoying the flavor. She'd always had a sweet tooth.

She watched from the corner of her eye as Ruby began opening her gift. She was nervous. She had spent all week fussing over what to give everyone- she'd never had many people to give gifts to before, and she wanted them to be perfect.

"Thanks Emma!" Ruby smiled enthusiastically when she opened her present to pull out a long red scarf. Emma smiled back when Ruby immediately wrapped it around her neck.

"No problem," she said, as Eric handed her two more presents. One was from Ruby, and the other, she noticed, had no writing on it. She gave Killian a suspicious look, and started tearing Ruby's gift open as Killian loudly thanked Eric for the new Richard Castle novel.

"Oh, wow, Ruby, thank you!" Emma said as her present was revealed - a multitude of fingernail polish that she couldn't help but be wary about, and a gift card for one of the local malls.

"We're totally going shopping someday, alright?" Ruby said, and it sounded like a promise. Emma chuckled. She paused slightly when she saw Killian start to open her present. When he did, he turned and stared at Emma for a long moment, looking shocked. Emma's face began to heat up, and she wasn't sure if it was entirely from the wine she'd drank.

"Emma," he said, sounding touched. Ruby, Eric, and Ariel were deep in conversation and not paying attention to them. His hand reached over and gripped hers. "Thanks."

"No problem," Emma said with a large smile as he tooked the signed copy of the Beatles' last album and held it reverently.

"How did you…"

"Eh. I know some people," she waved it off. He still looked stunned, and she leaned over and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. That seemed to snap him out of it, and he nodded at her present.

"Gonna open it?" he asked with a grin as Emma began ripping the wrapping paper open. She couldn't help herself when she squealed out loud.

"You did _not_, Jones!" she exclaimed, and carefully took the bottle with the replica of a ship inside it out to view properly. She vaguely remembered once telling him that she had always wanted one when she was younger. She looked over at him, excitement beaming in her eyes after reading the note tied to the end of the bottle.

_Because we all know you'd make a hell of a pirate._

_Cheers,_

_Killian_

"I thought it seemed appropriate," he shrugged. Emma laid the replica down on the coffee table before launching onto him in a bone-crushing hug. He grunted at the initial impact, then hugged her back.

It was almost too much.

Once Emma pulled back, she had to excuse herself, and hid in the corner of the kitchen, trying to organize her thoughts. After 29 years of never having any gifts or anyone who really cared, all of this was overwhelming. She didn't notice that Killian had walked in behind her.

"Alright, lass?" he asked softly. Emma turned to him, with her eyes glistening. He looked alarmed. "What's wrong? Did I give you food poisoning?"

"No," Emma chuckled, shook her head, and wiped at her eyes quickly. "I've just...this is the first time I haven't been alone on Christmas."

His face softened, and he embraced her again.

"Well, don't count on ever being alone again...on Christmas," he added quickly. They pulled apart when they heard a wolf whistle, and then Ruby was right beside them, standing on her tiptoes with mistletoe she was hanging over their heads.

"Ruby, I _swear to God_ if you don't get that out of my sight in three seconds, I'm taking your present back," Killian growled.

"Grouch," Ruby pouted, but hid the mistletoe away. Emma laughed and tugged at Killian's arm.

"Come on," she said, "let's join the others."


	12. I Have a Minute

**A/N: Be aware of the time skip!**

* * *

_December 30, 2013_

_1:25pm_

_Portland Police Department_

_Portland, Maine_

When they received the call, Emma had just gone on lunch break. But she abandoned her sandwich in favor of the serious, worried look on Captain Moss's face.

"What's wrong, sir?" she asked and stood up.

"There's been an armed robbery at the bank...it's still ongoing. We're going to need all units on this one, Swan. And where the hell is Killian?" he asked and looked around. Emma frowned, but quickly went into action.

"I'll get him," she said, knowing he had gone out for some Taco Bell. She quickly texted him before they left the police department.

* * *

Killian had already arrived when Emma pulled up. The bank was surrounded by uniforms, and a wide perimeter had been set up.

"Update?" Emma asked Killian while shrugging her shoulders into her bullet-proof vest.

"There's around six hostages that we know of. No contact has been made with the suspect. Whale is working on trying to set up some sort of communication."

"No need, they've called," Moss interrupted as he came over. He looked grim.

"And?" Emma asked.

"They're demanding you go in, Emma," Moss said in a deadly serious tone. Emma exchanged glances with Killian.

"Or what, sir?" she asked.

"Or they'll blow the place up." As soon as the words left his lips, Emma was taking her gun out and handing it to Killian.

"I'm guessing no weapons?" she said as she began to prepare herself.

"Right."

"Emma, no, don't-" Killian began, but she cut him off.

"I can do this, okay? I'm good at talking people down. And if my appearance is going to save lives, there's not a damn thing you can do to stop me," she said stubbornly, then took a shaking breath.

"Swan, if you're not out in twenty minutes, we're coming in," said Moss.

"Got it," Emma nodded. "I'll be back in less than that, sir."

"Emma-" Killian began again, unconvinced by her assuring words.

"I'll be fine," she gritted her teeth together.

"Yeah, I get that. Just really...be careful," he said softly and squeezed her wrist in his hand. "Come back in one piece, alright?"

"Alright," Emma said, her face softening considerably. His touch seemed like he was trying to say something to her, something unspoken. The feelings between them at the Christmas party came rushing back, but she pushed them away. Some other officers came over and started attaching bugs under her clothing.

"We'll be able to hear you, but you won't hear us," Moss said. Emma nodded.

"Alright, sir. I'll be sure to let you know if anything is extremely wrong," she tried to joke and failed miserably. Killian gave her a level look.

She made for the direction of the front doors to the bank. They opened automatically when she was less than a foot away, and her eyes scanned for cameras. They were watching her approach. She inhaled deeply and walked inside.

About six people were sitting on the floor, blindfolded and looking petrified as a black hooded figure with a gun in one hand and a phone in the other loomed over them. The figure's face turned into her direction; it was mostly concealed under the hood, but Emma had no trouble recognizing her own features.

"So good to meet you," the clone said. Emma gulped.

"We've already met, I think," she said stiffly. Her mind was racing. The clone grinned.

"Yes, yes, I was Milly then, wasn't I? Now I prefer Reese," she said, and pulled her hood off her head. Everything about her was identical to Emma; from the hairstyle down to the way she was dressed. Emma had a bad feeling about this.

"What do you want?" Emma asked. She wanted to get straight to the point.

"I wanted to see you again. You were particularly fascinating in our first meeting- nothing like the others. They were dull. Em has some potential," Reese added thoughtfully. "I didn't mean for it to go this far, you know. I've never held up a bank before, but it seems fun."

"Fine, then. What do you want from me?" Emma revised her question and ignored the goading.

"Just a little test," Reese's eyes flickered to the side. Emma's chest tightened when she followed her gaze and saw the bomb on the counter. She took in a deep breath.

"Test? What results are you looking for?" she kept her voice calm. Her mind scrambled for ways to let the force know there was a bomb involved. Reese ignored her; she was more interested in the phone she pulled from her pocket, which was vibrating. She cursed, composed herself, then gave Emma a smile.

"Check," said Reese and laid her purse down by the bomb. "I'll be gone before your friends can do anything, but perhaps you can get out by yourself. I only wanted to meet you, Emma Swan. We have a connection - I can feel it."

"Well, duh," Emma scoffed. Reese didn't seem to notice, and looked towards the ceiling, then over at the bomb. She slipped her phone back into the purse and left it there. Her gun was still aimed at Emma.

"You have two minutes. Oh, and opening any doors will instantly set it off. And then, well, if you die, I'm free to be you for dear Killian, and he'll be mine," she grinned. Emma's eyes darted to the bomb, and the numbers that were now flashing on it.

"Reese…" she said, but when she looked back, the clone was gone.

She cursed rapidly as her hands fumbled for Reese's phone in the purse she had left behind. She dialed Killian's cell from memory, begging him to pick up. When she heard the sound of the other line clicking, she immediately began speaking.

"Killian, Killian, it's me, the bomb's here, Reese is gone, I don't know how to dismantle it and she said the doors were triggered. I have a minute," Emma said rapidly, ignoring the frantic cries of the people around her, waiting for Killian's response. She took time to untie them and take their blindfolds off as she spoke, and they thanked her fervently, but they weren't out of the fire yet.

"Emma, take the chance, get out of there," Killian said in a strong voice. Emma's eyes scanned the frightened victims, and she stood, a look of determination in her eyes.

"Alright, everyone, please remain calm and exit the building in an orderly manner," she said, putting on a good face before she spoke into the phone again. "Killian, get everyone out there clear of the building," she said, as the people began heading towards the door, rushed, but not stampeding. Emma's eyes shut when she realized the doors were locked and there was no way out.

"Killian," she whispered, as they began panicking, "the doors are locked. We can't get out."

"I'm coming in, dammit," she heard him growl. She looked down at the flashing timer on the bomb.

"There's no time. We only have thirty seconds. Please, stay clear," she said, her voice choked and unrecognizable to her ears.

"Emma, no, I can't-"

"Please. Please, for me. One part of this dynamic duo should survive," she said, leaning back against the wall and sinking down to the floor slowly. Her hand was white-knuckled as she gripped tightly onto the phone. She heard arguing on the other line that sounded like Killian and Moss. Clearly Moss was trying to keep him from doing something stupid. She ran a hand over her face to wipe off the sweat that had gathered on her skin.

"How much time, Emma?" he asked.

_Ten._

"Ten seconds," she said, trembling, watching as panicked captives pounded on the glass doors.

_Nine._

She wanted to say so much more, to tell him how much she actually cared for him, but it would be cruel to give him that, only to snatch it away.

_Eight._

"It's been a good ride, Jones," she said instead.

_Seven._

"Emma, I love you, alright?"

_Six._

She closed her eyes tightly and made a small strangled sound. She couldn't find any words.

_Five._

"Stay with me. Please," he begged, and she could feel her heart twist painfully at the words.

_Four._

"I can't-" she protested and shuddered.

_Three._

Silence hung on the other line.

_Two._

"I love you-"

_One._

"-too," she said, then squeezed her eyes shut as the timer went to zero.


	13. I Almost Lost You

**A/N: Explicit smut in this chapter.**

Nothing happened.

"...Emma?" she heard from the line, a few seconds later. Her eyes shot open. The bomb was faulty. She let out a sob, putting a hand over her mouth.

"Oh God, oh _God_," she said, noting the looks of relief coming across her companions' faces. "It didn't blow. It didn't blow."

"Stay put. The bomb squad is coming in," Killian said, and she could hear him trying to keep his tone professional. She then heard the sound of the phone being passed.

"Everything okay in there?" Moss asked. Emma let out a breath.

"There was a bit of panic when we found out the doors were locked, but people are calming down now, sir," she said, closing her eyes, vaguely listening to the sounds of relief throughout the room.

"We're overriding the lock on that. Whale says it should only be a few more minutes. You did good, Swan."

"Thank you, sir. Always a pleasure," she said in a poor attempt at humor.

"You just get out of there in one piece. That's an order," he said, and she smiled wider when the doors flung open and people began flooding out. She sprung to her feet.

"Yes sir."

* * *

As soon as she was clear of the building, she searched for Killian, her eyes darting back and forth before she spotted him standing by a police cruiser. His gaze locked on hers and she ran to him, leaping up and wrapping her arms around his neck. He caught her easily, keeping her lifted up, clinging to her like she was going to disappear. She buried her face against the side of his neck.  
"You're shaking," he said when he carefully placed her back on her feet, his eyes full of concern. "The paramedics are here, I can-"

"No, I'm fine," Emma raised a hand before he could get any further. She refused to be the damsel in distress here. She noticed how his hands remained on her arms.

"I almost lost you," he said in a small voice that resembled that of a little boy's.

"But you didn't," Emma gave him a small smile and tried to stop the tears pricking in her eyes and her body from shaking. Killian reached up and cupped her face with one hand, which she leaned into while closing her eyes.

"Swan," came Moss's voice from behind her. Emma immediately pulled away from Killian and straightened her posture.

"Yes sir?"she asked.

"I want to paramedics to check you over. No arguments," he said quickly before she could protest. His dark eyes darted between her and Killian. Emma nodded.

"Yes sir," she sighed, and was reluctantly led towards the ambulances.

* * *

_7 Hours Later_

_11:00pm_

_Emma's apartment_

"So there's an evil twin running around out there?" Em asked.

"Clone," Booth corrected her. Em frowned from her panel in the left hand corner of Emma's computer screen.

"Well, whatever. Why does she want us dead? Does she think we're competition or something?" she questioned Emma.

"It sounded like it," Emma nodded. "She was interested in Killian, too. Too interested."

"So is she doing this all to get your man?"Em asked.

"He's _not_ my man," Emma huffed and rolled her eyes.

"You said you got her phone," said Booth.

"Yeah. It's in the evidence room now, Whale's going to have it looked at by CSU," said Emma.

"Damn, I wish I had it," Booth frowned.

"What do you want her to do, ship it to Canada?"Em asked sarcastically.

"Obviously not. Emma, you just...be careful tonight. Are you alone?"Booth asked.

"Yeah," Emma shrugged. She was used to being alone.

"You probably shouldn't be. Who the hell let you go home alone?"

"I convinced them I was a big girl," Emma answered dryly.

"Call us first thing in the morning then, big girl," Booth shot back at her. Emma couldn't help but smile as she closed her laptop.

She was laying stomach down on her bed, with her feet swinging in the air. She'd taken a shower and dressed into her night clothes as soon as she arrived home in the hopes of getting comfortable. Today had been much too stressful, and she was keen to go to sleep as soon as possible.

However, when she turned her light off and curled up under the covers, wild chatterings continued on in her brain- voices of worry. She felt her skin prickle and her heart palpatate as she imagined someone watching her apartment from across the street; watching her.

After about an hour, she could no longer deal with her paranoia. She was jumping at the smallest sound. She turned the light back on, and crossed her arms over her chest. She wanted out of this damn apartment, and she didn't want to be alone.

_I love you_, the voice echoed in her mind. She closed her eyes. She loved him too, after the bond they had formed the past two years. She loved his banter, his cleverness, his annoying little smiles of 'I told you so', the smell of his aftershave, his deep laugh, his baby blue eyes. She loved the way he made her feel- cherished.

There was really only one place to go.

* * *

Emma wrapped her arms around herself as she waited impatiently outside his door. She really hoped he wouldn't mind, after the day they've both been through. She was probably disturbing his sleep, maybe this was a bad idea...Yes, this was a terrible idea. What had she been thinking? It was highly inappropriate for her to show up at a colleague's front door clad in her pajamas and asking to stay the night.

She was about to turn around and leave when the door opened to reveal Killian, only wearing a towel wrapped tightly around his waist. His hair was wet and water beaded across his skin. Emma gaped for a moment, taking in his physique - his toned stomach, hardened biceps, the dark hair on his chest - before her eyes met his. Killian took one hesitant step forward. And then, he grabbed her face and kissed her.

Emma was in too much shock to respond at first, but a few seconds in and she was kissing him back hard. Her hands went to his bare sides, just over his ribs, and he shivered at her touch, pulling her further into his apartment. Emma kicked the door shut with her foot.

She groaned when he pushed his tongue between her lips, tasting her. Her arms moved and curled up around his neck while he pressed against her. She shoved her tongue into his mouth in turn. She wanted to drown in him. Shivers of pleasure trailed down her spine as he moved his hands to the back of her arms to hold her in place while he kissed her thoroughly.

"Killian," she breathed out when he pulled back. His response was lathering kisses along her jawline and down her neck, nipping at her collarbone. She grabbed at the back of his hair, pulling his face back to hers so she could kiss him again, sucking at his bottom lip. She moaned against his mouth again when his hands went to her ass to pull her flush against him, and he jerked his hips forwards into hers. She could feel the hard arousal against her leg, and it sent a wave of electricity down between her legs. Emma bit hard at his lip in return, and he pulled back, looking at her, his eyes dilated black with desire. His hand came up to either side of her face and his thumbs stroked along her cheekbones.

"I love you," he said in a low voice. "I don't know what I would have done if...I love you. Emma," he added her name, speaking it like it was some kind of prayer, making her breath catch. His voice was shaky with emotion and his eyes were honest as they gazed into hers.

She gripped at his hair again, kissing the tip of his chin fondly. He closed his eyes, and she reached between them and slowly untucked the towel from around his waist. His eyes shot open.

"We shouldn't," he said softly, but the tone with which he said them was unconvincing.

Emma traced her fingernails across his lower stomach, and his hands trailed to the tops of her thighs and tightened around them. With a mischievous smirk, she leaned in and placed her mouth on the center of his chest, licking upwards to his pulse point. Killian groaned, his eyes opening wide as he looked down at her sucking on his skin. His hands moved up under her shirt while Emma looked down at his exposed figure and bit her bottom lip, heat rising between her legs.

"Take it off," Emma ordered when he tugged at the hem. He unknowingly arched an eyebrow before grabbing the hem of her shirt with both hands and pulling it off over her head. He was met with a pleasant surprise when he saw she hadn't been wearing anything underneath it.

"Emma," he growled at her, one hand cupping a breast. Emma shivered and arched against his touch, her other nipple grazing against the hair covering his chest. "Bedroom," he said and picked her up, making her straddle his hips as he carried her to his bed. She could easily feel him - hard - between her legs through the thin fabric of her pajamas.

Once he shut the door behind them, he placed her down on her feet and kissed her quite thoroughly once more. Their tongues fought each other for dominance, stubbornly biting and sucking at one another's mouths until Emma became dizzy from lack of oxygen and pushed him back hard, towards the bed. He gave her a startled look before grinning, his eyes traveling from her face, down to her lips, down to her breasts, then down lower.

A look of resolve came across his face as he reached forward and slipped his fingers under the waistband of her pants, tugging them down briskly, leaving Emma standing in only her panties and the flip flops she had slipped on before she left her place. She quickly kicked them and the pants around her ankles off to the side, eying Killian's hard cock and licking her lips, stalking towards him. He gave her a curious gaze right before she shoved his chest hard and he fell to the bed. Before he could recover, she sat on his lap, straddling him and rubbing herself against his cock, only her panties separating them.

Killian inhaled sharply, hands circling around her to her shoulder blades as he leaned down and covered one of her nipples with his mouth.

"God...don't stop," Emma said, running her hands through his hair and rocking her hips against him rhythmically. He scraped his teeth along her nipple and licked the underside of her breast, his eyes looking up at hers.

"I wouldn't dream of it," he responded. His hands went down and his thumbs found Emma's inner thighs to rub teasing circles along her skin. She stifled a moan as he flipped them over and she found herself beneath him, at the mercy of his tongue as he slid it down her body, kissing and sucking at intervals. Her heart raced as he grabbed her knees and spread her legs apart, and a gasp escaped her lips as he nosed the strip of cotton covering her. He gave a grin at that.

She watched, entranced, as he carefully began pulling her panties down with his teeth, his eyes not leaving hers for a moment. He grabbed her ankle lightly with his left hand, while his right hand gripped at her thigh. His eyes met hers, and he seemed pleased when he saw she was watching with rapt attention.

When his hot breath made purposeful contact with her cunt, Emma almost whimpered. She certainly squirmed when he set his mouth on her, and let out a gasp. Her fingers found the back of his head and gripped at his hair; she needed something to hold onto. What responses he could elicit from her body astounded her; when he moved his mouth upwards and sucked at her clit, she cried out, threw her head back, and squeezed her eyes shut. Killian hooked her legs over his shoulders and moved his fingers to spread her open while his tongue moved inside her deeply, in the most delicious ways.

"Killian," she moaned when he pulled back. His tongue swirled around his lips, which were glistening with her arousal.

"Yes?" he asked as he began kissing his way up her stomach. His kisses were tender and loving, and he kept his eyes on her. When they were nose to nose, Emma smiled at him.

"I...I love you," she said in a low whisper. She gulped. He kissed the tip of her nose.

"I love you too," he replied. One of his fingers entered her and she gasped. He took advantage of her open mouth and kissed her. He sucked her bottom lip between his, then traced the tip of his tongue along it. His added a second finger and pumped them in and out of her. Emma's back arched and she grasped at his shoulders. He pulled his fingers out of her and brought them up to his mouth to suck on them. She watched with wide eyes and her chest heaved. Her heart was pounding hard in her chest.

He leaned over to grab something, and Emma was confused until he pulled out a condom from the small drawer in the stand beside his bed. God, she would have forgotten. She lost her train of thought as he slipped it on, and then he was there, between her spread legs and lining himself up. He smirked as he slowly pushed into her.

Emma let out a breath she didn't know she was holding, and gripped his shoulders tightly while her teeth dug into her bottom lip. She was plenty ready for him, but it still had been a long time for her.

"Move," she growled when he had stayed still for too long. He grinned and nipped playfully just underneath her jaw, then slowly made his way in and out of her. She suddenly had to urge to be on top, to ride him and have him moaning underneath her.

She let Killian thrust in and out of her a couple more times before she hooked her ankles around his back, and put her weight on her elbows, which gave her enough leverage to flip them over. Killian let out a grunt of surprise when he landed on his back and Emma straddled him while smirking down at him. She flattened her hands on his chest and immediately began fucking herself down onto his cock, before he could fully process the change in positions.

"Emma," he let out a ragged breath. His eyes were drawn to her breasts, along with his hands, which cupped and squeezed them. His thumbs circled her stiff nipples and the rough pads of his fingers sent a pleasant sensation down her spine. Her back arched in response and curved her chest out towards him.

"Killian," she said back to him. Her hair curtained down around her face as she leaned down to kiss him. He met her halfway, then sat all the way up with his hands steady on her hips. The kiss was long and sweet, and Emma couldn't remember ever being kissed like that before. It was as if they were conveying all their feelings towards each other through the connection of their bodies, and Emma didn't think she had ever felt so loved or loved so much in return.

When they came together, and he held her upright in his arms, for the first time in a long time, she felt a sense of belonging. A sense of home.


	14. An Unhealthy Dose of Curiosity

**A/N: Explicit smut in this chapter. Please be aware of the time gap.**

_March 15, 2014_

_9:01am_

_Killian's apartment_

_Portland, Maine_

Killian was wakened by the soft light coming in through the window. He began to stretch out, then realized there was a weight resting against his side. He smiled before opening his eyes and looking down at Emma, who was still sleeping soundly. His arm was wrapped around her and his fingers were splayed across her back to press her closer to him. He leaned over and kissed the side of her neck before yawning and rubbing his eyes with his other hand.

Naturally, by now, everyone at the office expected they were sleeping together, but none of them confronted them, which Killian was grateful for. Most of them had been distracted at first trying to track down the would-be bomber, who remained elusive, and everyone but Killian and Emma had given up on. He knew work was important to Emma.

For now, though, it was Saturday, and they had the day off. He smirked as Emma shifted to the side in her sleep, and he began kissing along the side of her throat slowly, savoring the warmth and softness of her skin against his lips. She made a small sound, and her left hand reached over and gripped the back of his hair.

"Hey beautiful," he said, then sucked at the skin on the base of her neck. Emma moaned.

"Sappy bastard," she muttered. Her eyes remained closed. Killian smiled. Instead of replying, he rolled over on top of her. Her own smile stretched across her face, but she still refused to open her eyes. Killian kissed the tip of her nose, then impulsively kissed both of her cheeks before ending with her lips. She gave another soft moan against his mouth, and her arms wrapped around him.

"I'm tired," she complained when their lips separated. Her eyes fluttered open marginally.

"After last night? Of course you're tired," he teased, fully aware of their lack of clothing. "Don't worry. I can do all the work."

"Eager much?" Emma laughed, her eyes finally snapping open all the way to look into his.

"Actually, yes," he replied in a low voice. His hands skirted up her sides, and Emma squirmed beneath him.

"Stop that," she chuckled and pushed at his chest. He grinned.

"What? This?" he asked and began tickling her sides. Emma squirmed more, laughing, and it was a beautiful sound.

"Killian...enough…" she gasped out, and he pulled his hands back. She grabbed his face on either side and pulled him down for a long, slow kiss. He could feel his heart racing, and he let out a soft groan against her lips. Then Emma pulled away and slid out from underneath him. He watched with an incredulous expression as she pulled her panties on and stole one of his t-shirts, tugging it on over her head.

"That's cruel," he said when she smirked at him.

"I'm hungry. You still have Cheerios left, right?" she asked slyly before leaving the bedroom. Killian smiled and shook his head to himself before collapsing against the pillows in defeat.

* * *

A few minutes later, he had grabbed a pair of boxers from his dresser and put them on, then made his way out to the kitchen, where Emma was standing in front of the counter, pouring cereal into a bowl. He looped an arm around her waist and pulled her against him. She stepped on his toes on purpose, and he leaned down and nipped her earlobe.

"Don't you ever keep your hands to yourself?" she asked. She swiveled around in his arms to face him. Her eyes strayed from his chest to his lips, then up to his eyes as she flattened her hands against his torso.

"No," he smiled mischievously, and leaned in to give her a small peck on the lips.

"You do this on purpose," she muttered while trailing a fingertip down the center of his chest.

"Do what?"

"Come out here half dressed, trying to seduce me," she looked at him with a raised yet amused eyebrow.

"You're not exactly dressed yourself," he shot back and reached his hands around to grab her ass and pull her closer against him. She laughed.

"Fair point, but at least let me eat first."

"I'm not sure if I can survive that," he teased, but let go of her. Emma groaned as at that moment, her red phone rang. Killian dropped his hands in defeat.

"I'm not answering," she grumbled, staring at her purse that had been left on the counter.

"You know you will," Killian sighed, and strode over to grab some orange juice from the refrigerator.

"Can't I just ignore it for one day?"

"You could," he nodded with a hopeful twinkle in his eyes.

"You sound doubtful," Emma frowned and crossed her arms.

"You have an unhealthy dose of curiosity, is all. That's why you're a good detective," he added before she could take offense.

"I'm not answering," she said firmly.

"Okay," he shrugged. A smile tugged at his lips as he poured his drink.

"Can't we just spend one day together? Alone?" she asked. His gaze met hers.

"With no clone club interruptions?" he raised a speculative eyebrow, "or cases to pour obsessively over?"

"I don't obsess over my cases," she grumbled, "and yes. Just the whole day, all to ourselves." She walked around the counter to him, grabbed his hand in hers, and squeezed it.

"You're amazing," he said with a sense of wonder, and Emma blinked a few times, taken aback.

"For what?"

"You just are," he smiled more widely and kissed her cheek. His lips lingered on her skin. "Now eat."

* * *

_9 Hours Later_

That evening, Emma curled up in the couch while Killian was out getting them some ice cream. She had flipped through a couple of television channels, but nothing had caught her interest. She was getting bored, and was also anxious for Killian to return. She leaned over and opened the drawer beneath the coffee table, idly rifling through it. It mostly looked like old torn bills and ratty phone books, but she eventually came across a glossy photo album, and paused. She bit her bottom lip as her fingers clasped the edge of the brown album and tugged it out of the drawer and into her lap.

On the bottom of the first page was a small boy standing between a man and a woman, both holding either of his hands. She could tell instantly from the eyes that she was looking at young Killian, and she couldn't help but grin and try to suppress an 'aww' as her eyes trailed over the baby pictures positioned above it. Three year old Killian with a small red tricycle. A two year old version of him in blue shorts, missing a shirt and being held by a woman with long red hair who shared his eyes. Another of him in a bubble bath, playing with what looked like a toy pirate ship. A nearly one year old raising a rattle in the air. Newborn Killian curled up in a bassinet. She laughed. He had been a pudgy baby, with rose red cheeks, and a happy smile.

As she continued to flip through the pages, the years flew by. Often he was seen with the same woman, who she assumed to be his mother, but other times he was with a tall, dark-haired man with a mischievous smirk that Emma recognized all too well.

There weren't many pictures of teenage Killian, and the woman slowly disappeared altogether. Emma frowned, and felt a tug of guilt in her chest. They'd never really talked about his parents. Come to think of it, he'd never asked her about her childhood, either. She kept it so close, so well-hidden, that the thought of sharing it with anyone hadn't occurred to her until now. She'd never thought she'd be capable of trusting someone with that.

The next pictures made her bite her bottom lip, hard. A dark woman with shining brown eyes, Angel Licata had definitely been a beauty, and the smile of adoration that was spread over Killian's face as the two linked arms made Emma's heart break over the fact he had lost her. When Emma turned the next page to what were wedding pictures, she took a deep breath. You couldn't miss the love in their gazes.

Suddenly, the door knob turned and Killian came striding in, carrying a carton of ice cream. He smiled widely at Emma, who had jumped and almost dropped the album, surprised by his sudden appearance. Killian's eyes trailed down to the photo album, and his smile dissipated.

"What are you doing?" he ask with a low sigh and sat the ice cream down on the counter, not taking his eyes off of her.

"I was bored," she said quietly, and chewed on her inner cheek. She slowly closed the album, and he blinked a few times. He seemed to be thinking hard.

"That's...alright," he said, and turned and walked into the kitchen to get some bowls. Emma ran her fingers through her hair and stood, placing the album on the coffee table before she walked over to him.

"Sorry," she said simply. He gave her a startled look and leaned against the counter.

"Don't be. I was just thinking, I haven't had that thing out in ages," he looked downwards. Emma drew nearer to him.

"Well. It's right there," she nodded in the direction of the album. "You want me to scoop the ice cream?" She reached over and slid the bowls towards her.

"I can get it," he put a hand over hers and held it there for a moment.

"What happened to your parents?" Emma asked. She couldn't help herself - it just came bursting out. Killian half-smiled.

"Curiosity, Swan. I told you," he chuckled, poked the tip of her nose, then sighed. "It's a long story."

"I have time," she tried to say in a convincing tone, turning her hand upwards to lace their fingers together. Killian's mouth opened slightly, and he licked his lips nervously.

"Okay," he nodded. He stayed silent for a long moment then began speaking. Emma watched him intently, their hands still intertwined. "I was around fifteen years old when my mother was diagnosed with cancer that had progressed immensely. It had gone too long undetected...my mother wasn't one to take much care of herself, she was always too busy taking care of others...like me….and my father," he grimaced, his grip tightening on Emma's hand, "and she didn't go for visits to the doctor as often as she should."

"It was a slow death, painful for her to go through, painful for me to watch. My father didn't stay around the house much...I guess he couldn't take it, but I was there, and I took care of her….I stayed up with her during the end. She used to try to fight with me, to make me go to bed, but eventually, she just got too weak, there was no fight left in her…" his voice drifted off, and his eyes were focused on a far off point as they saw memories that Emma couldn't. He said all of this very slowly, and it was clearly a struggle for him. Emma remained silent, simply listening and watching his expressions as he spoke.

"She died just a few months after her diagnosis, but those were the longest months of my life. I had stopped going to school, I don't think she even realized that I wasn't going, the cancer had gone to her brain by then, and sometimes she couldn't remember my name. And Dad didn't give a damn about my education to begin with. He was probably too busy out wherever the hell he went anyways to notice," he gulped, and his voice shook at the end of his sentence with anger. Emma traced her thumb back and forth over the back of his hand, soothingly.

"After that, we just couldn't stand the house anymore. I tried to forgive him the best I could, because he was the only...the only family I had left. We left Ireland and moved to New York, but in no time, he was gone. Turned out he was on the run from the police," Killian gave a dark, cold laugh and a glint of steel shone in his eyes that Emma had never seen there before. "I haven't heard from him since."

He turned back to Emma, and she was chilled for a moment by the dead look she saw deep in his eyes. She moved his arm around out of the way, stepped forward, and hugged him, wrapping her arms around his waist and holding onto him tightly. He gave a sigh of relief, and they stayed like that for a long while, with no more words needing to be said.

* * *

Killian watched Emma while they ate the ice cream in comfortable silence, seated on the couch with her curled up warmly against his side, still wearing his shirt and a lacy pair of panties. He smirked at the ice cream stuck unnoticed on the corner of her mouth, and reached out with his forefinger to wipe it away, then shrugged and sucked it off his finger. Emma tilted her head sideways at him.

"You know you could have just kissed that off," she teased. Killian thought about it for a moment before dipping his finger into his own ice cream and then wiping it across her bottom lip. Emma's eyes widened as they stared into his before he leaned down and kissed her, capturing her lip between his while holding his bowl steady. Emma put a cold hand on the side of his face to return the kiss, but he pulled back soon after. She narrowed her eyes at him.

"We don't want the ice cream to melt," he said innocently.

"Sure we don't," she said in a mock grouchy tone, and elbowed his side. He grunted, and managed to eat the next bite of his ice cream in a very suggestive manner.

"Asshole," she muttered, albeit distractedly. He held his spoon out from his mouth and traced the tip of his tongue upwards along the middle of it, keeping his eyes locked on Emma's.

When he put the spoon down, she crashed forwards into him, kissing him hard, and he almost dropped his ice cream bowl but managed to get it put safely on the dresser. Then, he was kissing her back, gripping at her silky hair, sucking at her bottom lip, and pressing his tongue into her mouth, drowning in her.

Emma's ice cream suffered a less kind fate and fell to the floor, but neither of them paid mind to it, too wrapped up in each other to heed the outside world.

"You'd...think…" Emma said between frantic kisses, "that we'd eventually….run...out….of steam for...this."

"Unlikely," Killian breathed out, his heart rate accelerating as he thought about all the other positions they'd been in that day. Eventually they were going to have to get more creative…. He side-eyed the abandoned ice cream on the coffee table. He gave Emma a smirk and a wink, and pulled her into his lap. She straddled him, rested her hands on his chest and took the opportunity to kiss and nip at his neck. He groaned in appreciation, and dipped two fingers into his ice cream. His other hand grabbed Emma's hair and pulled her head back. She looked at him and her eyebrows scrunched in confusion.

"Suck," he said, holding his fingers up to her lips. Emma's lips turned upwards as she looked between him and the fingers held up to her mouth. She stared into his eyes again as she flicked her tongue out to brush over the tips of his fingers. He gulped, then she opened her mouth and sucked his fingers inside. Her dark eyes made him imagine her sucking something entirely different (which had actually happened earlier that day, and it was amazing), and he shuddered. His other hand grasped one of her breasts through her shirt and squeezed. Emma removed her mouth from him, and reached out blindly behind her, searching for his slowly melting ice cream. She found it, grinned, and dipped her fingers in, then ran them down the side of Killian's neck causing him to shiver. She licked and sucked the ice cream off his skin, then kissed him lovingly just under his jawline.

"God, Emma," he growled when she pulled back. He tugged at the hem of her shirt, and she raised her arms automatically, letting him slide it off. His mouth immediately went to her chest, placing erratic kisses along the soft skin. Her back arched towards him, then he was smearing more ice cream along her bare chest (she hadn't bothered putting a bra on, given their all-day activities, which Killian had more than appreciated). Emma let out a gasp as his fingers ran over her nipples, both of which were stiff against his touch.

Suddenly, his mouth was covering the peak of her breast, his tongue swirling around the nipple, cleaning the sticky ice cream off her skin. She gripped hard onto his hair and jerked her hips downward in a plea for more. He grinned against her and moved to the opposite breast while his hands fell to her hips to hold her against him more firmly.

"Fucking-_ fuck_, Killian," Emma growled as he scraped his teeth over her nipple. He pulled his head upwards with a smug look on his face. His hand kneaded against her ass, pressing her further against him.

"Yes, love?" he asked, whispering low into her ear, which he sucked the lobe of afterwards.

"Forget the ice cream and_ fuck me_," she said, her voice just as low as she began undoing the buttons on his shirt. He watched her hands with interest, remembering just how skilled they were…. "I mean it, Jones," she said, snapping his attention back to the present. A surprised sound escaped her mouth as he lifted her up and went over to the counter, sitting her down on it. She looked at him with a smirk.

"Just how many other pieces of furniture are we going to fuck on before the sun sets?" she asked. Killian braced his arms on either side of her, his eyes level with hers.

"As many as you see fit too. And we haven't fucked yet today, darling….just made love," he raised an eyebrow and gave her a devilish smirk. He slid his pants off, and she did the same with her underwear, tossing them to the side.

"Well, break that streak and fuck me," she demanded.

Killian was all too happy to obey her commands.


End file.
